Off to Nelson Once Again

This was another major driving day. We hit the road at 10:00 after a quick breakfast and headed north out of Franz Joseph. The rain that had started in the afternoon on the previous day continued through the night and was still going strong as we worked our way along the west coast of the south island.

The steady rain added a previously unknown dimension to the adventure that is the New Zealand winding mountain road. Fortunately there was light traffic heading south and especially little truck and bus traffic.

The highway parallels the coast several kilometers inland as it makes its way through the coastal mountains. The tires on our rental car were more than up to the task of the sharp turns, sudden braking, and uphill acellerations the road offered and I had a pretty good time for most of the trip. Debbie, on the other hand, watched the approaching hairpin turns and oncoming traffic with less confidence.

We stopped for lunch in Greymouth (the town where two years ago we caught the train for the trip over the mountains to Christchurch). One funny incident happened while we were walking down the street looking for a suitable lunch spot. After scoping out one cafe Debbie remarked that it was very similar to the one we had had lunch at while waiting for the train. After we walked out, I noticed a wall painting across the street that looked familiar and suddenly realized it was the exact same cafe.

Once at the coast we chose a slightly longer route so as to pass by the Pancake Rocks area which is a recommended site to see. We probably would have skipped it this trip, but it seems likely we won't visit the west coast of the south island again even if we revisit New Zealand in the future, so it was a now-or-never choice and we chose now.

As we approached the park that comprises the Pancake Rocks site we found ourselves in a narrow tourist-y area without any indication we weren't on a major highway, even though we were. It just suddenly appeared and there were many tourists walking across the highway and tour buses parked beside the highway. They could really use some extra signage there, with perhaps a crosswalk or two.

The two attractions in the area are the pancake rocks and some blowholes resulting from waves pushing air through underground channels. We never saw the blowholes. I can't say why since I was kind of looking forward to seeing them and it was mighty wavey that day.

The "Pancake" nature of the rocks in the area is currently unexplained according to the signboards along the scenic walkway.


The walkway is paved and a fairly easy stroll for all ages (including a pair of pushy older ladies who kept jumping in front of me when I tried to take a pic)


The water has undercut the rock in places creating deep channels, sometimes with sea level holes for the waves to crash through.




Other than the unusual rocks ...


... the rainy weather ...


... and the stunning scenery ...



... there wasn't a whole lot else to see, so we finished the structured walk and continued on our way.

Debbie tried once again to capture the driving fun.





As we got near Nelson the mountains became a little less rocky and a bit more stoney. I thought it was amazing that these highway cuts through essentially dirt and gravel didn't have a bit more in the way of reinforcing wall to keep the walls from crumbling onto the road. This one had a fence, at least.


After a grueling drive, we finally made it to Nelson only to discover that it was the busiest weekend of the year. After driving around the city for a while we ended up finding the second last room in the city, which was a very nice, if very expensive room.

We settled in and then wandered to the downtown for some last minute (for Nelson - 9:00 pm!) dinner, had a pint and found ourselves in bed asleep by 10:30.

Until next time,

Don