Westport,Murchisson,Nelson,Havelock Linkwater,Cowshed Bay
A last view at the West Coast and we're on our way to Nelson Bay, got to get some food at the supermarket in Westport to leave it behind us to take the road between Westport and Murchisson that winds it way through a number of sensationnaly gorges and the Bull Range some of New Zealand's roughest nature.
A first stop at the Bull River Swingbridge, New Zealand's longest wit 110 m, a walk over the bridge and down to Bull River , Dorine fears heights , so she stay's in the park reading a book instead....
The ride goes on to Nelson , we park the motorhomle and have a nice walk in the city, followed by a tough walk all the way up to the Central New Zealand Point where you have a stunning view overlooking Nelson and Nelson Bay.
With more sunshine hours than almost anywhere in the country, its whitesand and golden sand beaches, Nelson is a heaven for holidaymakers.
The region is famous for its seafood and fruit growing.
We decide to continue a liitle further to The Marlborough Sounds with hundreds of lovely coves and waterways, a dream for sailing,kayaking, fishing and camping and that is just what we are looking for....
It is also New Zealand's argest wine region with 75% wine production.
It is often mentioned that no wine in the world tastes like the Marlborough Wine( read they think they're the best), though I have another opinion...a very good wine , but....
Arriving at Havelock, best known as the Greenshell Mussel Capital, a large mussel and the best place in town "The Musselpot" guess what...is closed, so no mussels but pancakes made by me and approved by Luc, Martin and Dorine
Leaving the road at Linkwater on a small winding road along Makau Sound and Kenepuru Sound, it take's us to Cowshed Bay...our lovely camp
for the night.
We're only 50km away from Picton where we have to catch the ferry tomorrow at 14h30
Gillespie Beach, Fox Glacier,Franz Josef Glacier,Whatoroa,Harihari,Ross, Hokitika, Greymouth,Punakaiki,Westport
Waking up this morning with a clear blue sky I realize that Gillespie Beach must be a popular camp spot for youngsters, tents, vans, campingcars
filled up the entire camp spot...it seems a lot of people want to visit the fur seal colony point that can be reached after a 2 hours walk.
We brake up camp and drive back on a unsealed road to Fox Glacier with a nice view upon the glacier, coming down all the way from the mountain into the rainforest, it seems to be a one of a kind...
Some 50 km further a second glacier "the Franz Josef" and we're about to leave Glacierland.
Next village, Whatoroa what means "white heron" and a little bit further on the road 2 lovely Lake's , Lake Maporika and Lake Wahapi.
Time for a nice coffee in Harihari, the village got its name after the Australian Guy Menzie, the first pilot to fly from Sydney over the Tasman Sea, but crashed in the swamps nearby Harihari.
As we arrive in Ross, we follow the goldtrail and end up in Ross Museum of Gold, quite interesting and it must have been hard times those days
It is a historical Goldmine that started in 1860 with the Goldrush.
Lunch we have at the lovely Lake Makinapua...and back on our way to Hokitika, West Coast's most attractive city, since 1866, thanks to the Goldmines, it turned from no more than a settling to a commerce centre where the Gold was traded.
Many Australian mineworkers came by ship to Hokitika , but as it was a tricky harbour, between 1865 and 1866 every 10 weeks a ship didn't make it .
We had a visit to the National Kiwi Center and spotted a Kiwi, didn't know at all they were that big...
From there it goes to Punakaiki to visit the famous Pancake Rocks and blowholes, dramatically set on the West Coast.
We need to find a place to Camp and end up in Westport.
Queenstown,Arrowton,Wanaka,Haast, Fox Glacier, Gillespies Beach
Leaving Oueenstown behind us on Molaghan Road , on our way to Arrowton, a old golddigger's town where Chinese miners had a big influence in the history of Arrowton and still do. Today coaches full of Chinese visitors are brought to this little town to buy gold at the local jewelery.
On the road to Wanaka we take a look at the Bungy Jump Karawau bridge,43m height...some jump, others backup
Back on the road to Wanaka we take a look at the view point "The Neck" a small piece of land 35 km long between Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka
with some fantastic views on both lakes that are often't mentioned as Southern's most beautiful Lake's.
We were so spoiled to be able to have lunch with such a scene in front of us...life could be worser.
Meantime the clouds moved away and the sun is shining more and more...just the way I like it, so we even get to enjoy the game of colors even better.
Lake Wanaka is New Zealand's fourth largest lake and Wanaka sit's at the entrance to the Mount Aspiring National Park and is as Queenstown a adventure point .
After lunch we follow the road through the Southern Alps direction Haast with a short stop at Fantail fall's and once past Haast we finally hit the West Coast of New Zealand which is one of the most isolated places with a dramatic coastline and some of the best preserved rain forest through the years.
They say most of rain fall's here but when I ask the locals, it doesn't seem to be like this...as everything is so green I think the truth lay's somewhere in between.
Enjoying the coastal road with some stunning views we have another stop at Knights Point, it seems to be a point where around 1860 a lot of ships were rigged against the rocks.
Further stops at Lake Moeraki and Bruce Bay before we enter the land of glaciers with first glacier at Fox Glacier...it's time to look out for a camp spot and we find a very nice wild camp spot at Gillespie beach, that also used to be a goldmine.
During our evening walk we see some old rusted machine parts that witness the goldmines
Fortrose,Gore,Lumsden, Kingston, Lake Wakatipu,Queenstown
After a quite stormy night at Toetoe's Bay we brake up camp and leave Fortrose back North, direction Gore
Arriving in Gore our attention goes to a statue of a huge brown trout in the center of the city.
Apparently Gore is a good spot to catch a trot in the river Mataura... but somehow i'm not very interested ...lol...
fish and me are two things that don't go along...
Gore is also known for the illegal distillery of Moonshine(Whisky) during the bootleg from 1902 till 1953
The story is that the Scottish family Mc Rae , after a long journey from Scotland to New Zealand early 1870 , settled in the Hokunui hill's and it didn't take long before they started to distillate Whisky, at first for own consumption...but quickly they start selling the whisky so they were able to buy clothes and food.
During the bootlegging a lot of illegal distillery's were active and Gore was the city where they sold their Moonshine.
Nice museum
The ride goes on in between the Hokonui and Taringatura Hill's all the way to Lumsden and Kingston, where we want to visit "The Kingston flyer"
a old steam train that has been refurnished and is a great attraction today...but we're as lucky as with the wet weather...the locomotive is away for technical maintenance so only a photo from the railway station at Lake Wakatipu.
Long ago Kingston was the end station for travelers that came all the way South by boat or train , now it turned into a sleeping village.
Another 40km to go to our end station of the day...Queenstown, Capital of adventure, situated at the North East corner of Lake Wakatipu , surrounded by the Remarkables mountain ridge.With its dramatic landscapes and dynamic activities it ensures its position as New Zealand best lake and alpine resort...every adventure you can imagine is done here.
It is also loved by several Hollywood film producers for its stunning scenery.
Some activity's bungy jumping 134m, skydiving,canyon swinging,rafting,skiing,hiking,.....
After a walk in the town center we find a nice Holiday Park for the night...hopefully the sky clears up tomorrow
This morning after a quite cold night we left our camp spot hitting for Slope Point, the Southern-most point of the South Island.
First stop in Dunedin , known for its yearly piper festival what represents the Scottish influences.St Paul's Anglican Cathedral's two towers are rising out the skyline of Dunedin.
We continue our journey to Milton, Balclutha with a next stop at Nugett Point with it's lighthouse and a lot of fur seals, Penguins, Sea Lions and Sea Elephants to watch....although temperature outside has dropped to 10°...quite chilly and we have to put on our jeans and fleeces .
After a nice walk to the lighthouse and enjoyed the views we continue to Owaka , Purakaunui Falls,Cathedral Caves(entrance closed), Waikawa to have a stop at Curio Bay and Slope Point.
Another 35km drive on gravel roads through the Quarry Hill's arriving in Fortrose where we find a free camping spot at Toetoes Bay ...
I wander what Dorine, our cook of the day is going to serve us...
After a good shower and breakfast we brake up and leave direction Dunedin.
Driving along the summit road with lot's of nice bay's and hill's we get in the countryside , cows, sheep and a lot of farming going on.
The road goes on passing Ashburton,Timaru and a stop at Oamaru to visit the blue penguins, actually the littlest penguin specie
A nice coffee and we're on our way again, next stop in Moeraki to visit the Moeraki Boulders on the beach, Perfect round boulders laying all over the beach in front of the cliff's .
Our goal Dunedin is another 90 km away, to far away , so we decide to stay over the night at a Moeraki camperpark.
Our Chef Martin serves us a lovely Entrecote , approved by the butcher himself
Gore huge brown trout
Gore Hokonui Moonshine Museum
Kingston, Kingston Flyer railway station
Queenstown at Lake Wakatipu
Hokonui Hill's
Taringatura Hill's
