Greymouth > Murchison
We awoke to yet another rainy day and had an enforced lie in because James was asleep having stayed awake until after 10pm the night before.
We drove briefly into town for yet another failed search for a laptop internet connection then hit the road to Punakaiki, north up the West Coast and home of Pancake rock and the blowholes. As the high season approaches New Zealand is filling up with campervans. Most of the time you still have the feeling of space so we were shocked to drive around the corner as we came in to Punakaiki and find both car parks over-spilling with campervans and nowhere to park. Pancake rock and the blowholes were magnificent and we were fortunate to have arrived just after high-tide so the sea was pounding in all the inlets and gulleys - it was quite a sight. On this side of the South Island the vegetation is all very tropical and there is no doubt that you are a long way from home.
 
After seeing the rocks we drove along the coast a few kms and stopped in a marked picnic spot. NZ is great at this and the Dept of Conservation marks all interesting spots including walks through the bush and boards at the beginning telling you the walk options and how long they will take. So our picnic included an unanticipated but very enjoyable stroll along the river with some wonderful scenery.
We then set off again and decided to press on to Murchison along the Buller Gorge. As we neared the top of the gorge we could see a bridge across the river. We decided to stop and take a look and found ourselves walking across the longest swingbridge in New Zealand then coming back on the Comet line - see pictures. James was originally going to come too and they lent us a baby backpack but both of us felt too nervous having him on our backs so we took it in turn instead. The bridge crossing was pretty scary but the ride back was great and I think this is the closest I (Catherine) am going to come to bungy jumping!
 
We then made the short drive to Murchison and set up in a nice, spacious for once, but simple campsite. We walked into town and had one restaurant to choose from but the food was good and there were photos on the walls showing the history of the hotel. It's strange to think that only 150 years ago there whole of the inland was covered in forest and the only clear areas were along the river banks. The goldrush changed all that!
9:24:45 PM 
|
