New Zealand Day 7 01/24/2018 Photo Album

Wednesday, January 24 was another travel day. We packed up the Hyandai minivan and drove from Motueka to Greymouth on the west coast. The initial portion of the route traced the same path as our fishing adventures near the Motueka River. Eventually, however, we turned on to Highway 6 and followed the Buller River all the way to Westport. The Buller Canyon and gorge were beautiful, and the river grew in volume before it made its final run from Westport to the ocean. It was admittedly difficult to refrain from fishing in such an attractive area. In addition to the main stem, we crossed over numerous tributaries that invited exploration. While we remained in cell phone range, I researched streams on nzfishing.com, as we passed them. I was admittedly overwhelmed by the options available to a fly fisherman with more time to fish.

The Buller River along the Highway to Westport

We bypassed Westport and continued on 6 south along the coast to Punakaiki and Pancake Rocks. We paused here on our drive to Greymouth and hiked a short loop track, that enabled us to view the many uniquely shaped rocks and crashing breakers that draw tourists from all over the world.The west coast of the South Island was just as spectacular as the Farewell Spit and Wharariki Beach.

The West Coast

So Many Pancakes

A short drive from Punakaiki took us to Greymouth, where we found the Kingsgate Hotel, that was reserved for Wednesday night. We checked in and instantly determined  that our room lacked air conditioning. We eventually discovered that this was normal, and the climate controlled comfort of the Equestrian Inn was the exception. In addition to the steamy situation in our sixth floor room, we found a puddle of water in the refrigerator, and we were unable to connect using the Wifi network. A call to the front desk resolved the Wifi and refrigerator problems, and a maintenance worker delivered one of the six fans in the Kingsgate’s inventory to room 1206. The fan proved to be a sleep saver.

Hidden Tidal Pool

Jane and I decided to take a stroll at 5:15, and we ended up at the Monteith Brewery, where we each quaffed a beer. Jane emailed Brenda, and John and Brenda joined us for a fine dinner. When Brenda researched her guidebook prior to our trip, she read about a New Zealand delicacy called whitebait. She spotted this item on the menu and made it her selection at the Monteith Brewery. After it arrived she swallowed two bites and then offered some to Jane. Before cutting a chunk from the pancake-like portion, Jane peered into the fried batter, and her stare was met by a pair of small beady eyes. Upon learning of Jane’s observation, Brenda pushed her whitebait aside and shared John’s dinner.