Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16

Saturday, June 15

The Cook Straight

Alarms were set for a 5:30 a.m. wakeup for our 7:15 a.m. arrival at the Interisland ferry from.  One of the few times I’ve ever seen Jim nervous, I couldn’t tell if he was nervous over a new experience or nervous from the excitement of the crossing.

We didn’t believe the lady at the holiday park.  She said it would only take 15 minutes to get to the port.  We’d gone by there on the bus and it took a lot longer.  Good thing she was right because we left late but arrived with no problems.  Jim was still excited and nervous.  Reflecting on the day I think it was because he was excited to be on the ship.  It was HUGE.   

Jim drove the motor home up into the belly of the beast, we secured everything and then went up to the passenger decks.  I was surprised at how nice the ship was.  There was an aft two story observation deck (just outside the bar where singles and families alike camped out on the cushy couches and chairs), an indoor reclining (chair) area with a couple different cafes to choose from.  On the second deck there were two movie theaters (that you could pay to watch movies in), there was an iSite to get info about Picton where we would land and even a trucker’s lounge. Jim and I ate breakfast while the ship was still in the bay and then I wanted to explore…that didn’t not last after the ship got underway.  Jim thought the observation deck would be a good place to sit, there was a lot of fresh air and it wasn’t as much motion back there.   

 

I could tell he wanted to go outside, but I finally got the point where I just wanted to lay down and pray for deliverance from the sea. We settled in the comfy chairs at the front of the ship.  I slept curled in a chair and Jim read.  About 40 minutes out of Picton on the South Island, I woke up feeling better.  Scones and tea settled my stomach (and a bite of some exceptional cheesecake).  Now that the ship was calm, I was ready to go outside and look at the sound.  Picturesque, tranquil, isolated, perfect.  According to Jim the perfect place to live is on the ocean with a mountain rising behind your house.  We found that place.  The homes lining little coves went form simple to enormous.  Many must have generators, as no power lines were visible.  Access appears to be by boat through the sound.  Already the south island was looking more dramatic and rugged.

 

As soon as we landed we took off for…we weren’t sure.  Greymouth was at the back of our minds. Regardless of the destination, the journey was well worth it.  The road took us through wine country.  Vineyards lined the roads and rugged high mountains provided the backdrop.  The road went south and then traversed the width of the island. Mountains began to line both sides of the road.  Elk farms popped up (we only saw one on the north island).  Jim spotted them by the five or six foot elk-tight fences.

On the last leg of our journey, the road took us through another scenic valley.  A river lay at the bottom of the valley through which we drove.  We were a good 50 – 70 feet above it and often in the trees.  Glimpses of the clear water were like photographs from travel magazines. The road slowed here, but it was well worth it.  The drops were often shear, but hidden by the tall sentinel trees that grew up sides of the mountains. 

We finally decided to head a little north to Westport.  This little town was a center of coal production.  We weren’t excited about visiting, but it seemed like a great point to pick up the coast road that will take us south.

A fast visit to the beach was a great idea. The sun was setting on this long, smooth stretch of black and white sand.  Back across the road we camped for the night, doing laundry and cooking dinner.  I hate to see the second week draw to an end.

Sunday, June 16

Westport to Greymouth

Happy Father’s Day!  We woke up cold for the first time and came to adore the duvet on the bed. It was hard for Jim to get out of bed and switch the propane tanks so we could have heat and hot water for tea.  The day broke grey, but that hasn’t affected the beauty of what we’ve seeen.  We’ve begun the drive down the west coast of the south island.  From our campground in Westport, we headed south to Cape Foulwind and the Seal Colony.  What a great side trip! We parked and hiked an easy 500 km uphill to a lookout over the seal grounds.  A formation of volcanic hills growing from the sea form a protective, rocky home for a colony of about 20 seals that we could see.  At first we saw three in a protective cove.  Coming around the trail further we got a full look at the rocky point they call home.  Among ten to twelve adult fur seals, there was at least the same number of pups. It was fun to watch them navigate the rocks from the small pools back to their colony.  They cried and called to one another and the adult seals seemed unaffected by the play and seeming distress of the pups.  This point is a good place for them because there are small pools in which baby seals can play.  I probably watched them for 30 minutes; Jim finally had to drag me away so that others could step up to the rail and take a look.  I was amazed that one woman walked away complaining that she couldn’t see any seals.  We hiked on up the cliff for about 500 more kilometers until the trail crossed over a fence.  Looks like it would be a GREAT trail, terminating around the Westport lighthouse.  Back at the motor home we made lunch—hot soup and warm bread.  

The road took us inland just a bit.  We spent twenty minutes driving through farm country, staring at the snow-capped mountains, and searching for elk farms (which we found!).  Soon the road turned south again and we found our selves driving along the volcanic coastline once again.  Just about the time I couldn’t stand the height any longer, Jim pulled off and we spent a little time taking pictures of the pancake rocks and blow holes around Paikuku reserve.  Although the road crested on a bluff, it quickly dropped back down to sea level.  The road reminded me of PCH in California, but this one was a bit easier for me to take.  Every turn revealed more beautiful lava coastline.  House were scattered at brief intervals up and down the coast on both sides of the road.  Some were fancy, others practical. Some had smoke roiling out of a chimney, others looke desolate.  As we got closer to Greymouth farmland separated us from the Tasman Sea.  We could see pasture and crops like a patchwork quilt between the road and the ocean.  There were more elk farms in this area.  We spot them because of the five-foot fence. 

We got into Greymouth around 4 p.m.  It just started drizzline as we ran into the grocery store (which was beside the Greymouth TransAlpine station).  The drizzle chased us to the campground.  As I sit hear typing, rain blow and dancing across the roof of the motohome. We are snug inside, well fed and warm.

A side note:  our campground hostess says that we won’t see much on the TransAlpine Train if the day isn’t clear.  The weather reports for both Greymouth and Christchurch is rainy for the next five days.  Looks like we’ll head south to the glaciers tomorrow. 

Random Thoughts:

·      None of the elk on the elk farms have antlers. The herds are big…bigger than I’ve ever seen.

·      The Tasmin Sea is the same color as the Caribbean when I saw it at Tulum after a storm—a grey-blue.  Further out it’s dark.

·      Seal pups are loud!

·      I am constantly looking for seals now that I’ve seen them at Sea Beach.  Maybe a whale next.

·      The third Sunday of June is NOT Father’s Day in New Zealand.