Tour Day 11 - Punakaiki to Franz Joseph / Waiau

 Massive Overnight Rains

Last night the rains from the storm passing over South Island were deafening on the metal roof of the motorhome. Apart from odd breaks we have been very unlucky over the last 48 hours and the prospect continues to fluctuate. Typical temperatures we are encountering are between 10 and 13C.

Meet Tui

Our crew has been joined by a new team member.  The first few days of our tour we were woken by a tuneful though noisy bird which we spotted one morning and identified it from the white bib as a Tui.

We wanted a soft toy to join our travels and decided that Tui would be the one so he now has a permanent home on the dash

Tui

Low Battery Fright

The start of our day was a little fraught when faced with low battery warning on the dash. The driver's door interlocks with the ignition and it seems I had just stood up and moved straight into the back of the van causing the dashboard still to be active. Fortunately there was enough to start the engine but as it was still only 7am we drove to the other side of the field to leave it running for a while.  All was well but I have to remember to open the door every time we stop, 

Coast Road South

As we left the Coast Road Campground it was bright with largely blue skies but sadly it wasn't to last. We were following the coast and the sea showed clear signs of the stormy weather with larger rollers and white foam everywhere. 

Active sea near Barrytown

Lynne wanted to buy a small piece New Zealand Jade jewelry and had found a studio shop in Greymouth where she could be sure of it's provenance. I normally hate shops like this but the couple running it were so nice and eager to inform that I was won over.  The guy had worked the stone himself and detail of where and when it had bee found was all available. Apparently much of the Jade sold in shops is actually from China.

We have been constantly amazed at the number of roadworks and barely had we left Greymouth when this all too familiar sight presented itself. How the budgets are managed is a mystery; Maybe they've had years of neglect and they are sorting it out but whatever the process, they are everywhere, On winding sections it isn't unusual to find a quarter of the road has slipped down the gully and the road is single file. Some look recent, some look like the cones have taken root.

roadworks orange

After Greymouth the road ran between high wooded hillsides and scrubby dunes. Occasional stops near the sea were haunted by sand flies so we generally kept moving.  

Hokitika

At Hokitika we left the coast and drove 30 mins inland to a famous walk. The walk centres around a deep gorge set in lush ancient woodland. Items of interest include a long suspension bridge and pool which would have been blue on a better day.  We explored in misty drizzle but at least not full on rain.

We spent around 1.5hours covering both walks.

Hokitika rope bridge

View down into the gorge

gorge

empty bridge

bridge pose

bridge pose 2

high lookout

heading back

forest vegetation

damp pathways

swing bridge from Southern lookout

The rest of the drive remained mixed with wipers running most of the time but as we arrived at Franz-Joseph and the Orange Sheep Campground the skies began to clear.

mountain view from campground

looking towards Mounts Cook and Tasman

We walked into town hoping to eat but the gluten free need and busy establishments thwarted us. Though it wasn't our first choice we did get a nice meal in an Asian restaurant not in town but near our campground so all was well in the end.

van life

Greymouth store  Shades of Jade

Hokitika Hokitika Gorge Walks

Franz-Joseph Orange Sheep Campground

Statistics: Miles today: 171 ; Miles so far: 1,240 ; Fuel added so far: 221 litres ; South Island; Time Zone: UTC +13 New Zealand Daylight Time (NZDT )