This edition acknowledges the start of another adventure in the scenic wonderland that is the south island.
First stop after disembarking the ferry at Picton was Whatamango Bay in Queen Charlotte Sound.
The mussels in the bay were easy pickings and made up the principal ingredient of mussel fritters in beer batter - expertly cooked to perfection!!
About 30kms south of Blenheim, on the coast next to the Lake Grassmere salt works, is Marfells Beach.
A pleasant walk around the coast brings you to Cape Campbell and the lighthouse.
Regular campers at Marfells bring all their toys for harvesting the sea.
I was lucky enough to be given a crayfish by guys who head around the coast on quad bikes at low tide and set their pots each day.
Across the island via Lewis Pass and a visit to the old coal mining ghost-town of Denniston.
Rail wagons full of coal were sent down a 45 degree incline to the valley below - plenty of accidents and more than a few deaths!
The Buller River escapes to the sea at Westport and this camping spot is at the river mouth.
No trip to the west coast should ever be undertaken without a stop to view the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki.
The famous Putai blowhole spews seawater high into the air when conditions are right.
This was my 6th visit to the rocks, and the first opportunity to capture the blowhole working.
This was my 6th visit to the rocks, and the first opportunity to capture the blowhole working.
Lots of history associated with gold mining and plenty of tunnels and workings to explore on the coast.
Lake Ianthe is about 35kms south of Hokitika.
So much rain falls on the west coast that sometimes lakes get a little over-full.
The Harihari Coastal Walk proved to be a bit more of a challenge than I had anticipated.
The swollen Poerua River made a determined effort to sweep me away.
My trusty tokotoko stick came to the rescue and saved me from a dunking, and possibly a drowning!
Lake Matheson was formed many moons ago by the receding Fox Glacier.
In the right conditions it provides a great reflection of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman.
I felt the Christchurch earthquake in Franz Josef when it struck on 22nd February.
A visit up to the glacier is compulsory.
The terminal ice face is just beside my left shoulder in this shot.
Time now to start the drift south and east.
Thanks for watching.
Good luck to all your families.
1 comment:
Greetings Livingstone
An interesting update to your intrepid travels.It must be hard keeping your powder dry with all the wet weather on the coast but keep on trucking o fearless one.Keep searching for that elusive flying mower.
Rowan Stanley Forbes
Dip.Flymo(hons)
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