The Ultimate New Zealand Travel Guide
Westport to Hokitika
We headed back south from Westport after going out to Cape Foulwind south of town to walk up to the lighthouse and also visit the seal colony then back to route six south. Below Charlston the route 6 curls along the jagged shoreline where one of the most dramatic coastlines demands you stop for photographs for many kilometres. Plenty of pull off places and with a camper van the perfect spot to stop and have lunch while watching the Tasman Sea crash into the giant rock structures and swirl up the sandy beaches. If it had been summer we would have taken the time to stroll along one of them.
One thing about the West Coast beaches if you are inclined to collect rocks or drift wood pieces be careful you may end up with a camper van full. So many interesting pieces it is hard to not pick tem up.
Then we came to the Pancake Rocks the quite interesting natural rock structures that look like a pile of rocky pancakes. DoC has again made it easy to walk through and enjoy and it is free by the way.
You can get a stack of real pancakes all day long at the cafe across the road and there is also plenty of parking for vans right there. This is another area where you better check the capacity of your camera as you can't stop shooting. I am so glad for digital.
On south again and a quick diversion off route six to visit the village of Blackball an old mining town to see the refurbished hotel called “Formerly known as the Blackball Hilton” What a great job they have done. Once upon a time the Hilton Hotel chain demanded they change the name Hilton Hotel and so they did. This is also the town where the New Zealand Labour Party began. With the price of gold going out the roof a lot of the residents went back to gold panning the rivers here.
Back to route 6 and across the river to visit Greymouth. Be sure to stop at the I-Center and visit Gina to get all the best information and perhaps take a tour of the Monteiths Brewery.
On south we journeyed to come to rest at one of my favourite holiday parks on the north edge of Hokitika the Shining Star Holiday Park right on the beach.
We settled in for the evening after going down to the beach to enjoy one of those special West Coast sunsets. If you do not feel peaceful here it will never happen. We visited the llamas and the kunikuni pig along with the other animals that call this home. What a great job they have done here.
Met up with some great visitors here from California and London. One of the real treats of going by camper van you get the opportunity to meet a lot of good folks in a relaxed setting at the holiday parks.
Shining Star Holiday Park - Hokitika
We headed back south from Westport after going out to Cape Foulwind south of town to walk up to the lighthouse and also visit the seal colony then back to route six south. Below Charlston the route 6 curls along the jagged shoreline where one of the most dramatic coastlines demands you stop for photographs for many kilometres. Plenty of pull off places and with a camper van the perfect spot to stop and have lunch while watching the Tasman Sea crash into the giant rock structures and swirl up the sandy beaches. If it had been summer we would have taken the time to stroll along one of them.
One thing about the West Coast beaches if you are inclined to collect rocks or drift wood pieces be careful you may end up with a camper van full. So many interesting pieces it is hard to not pick tem up.
Then we came to the Pancake Rocks the quite interesting natural rock structures that look like a pile of rocky pancakes. DoC has again made it easy to walk through and enjoy and it is free by the way.
You can get a stack of real pancakes all day long at the cafe across the road and there is also plenty of parking for vans right there. This is another area where you better check the capacity of your camera as you can't stop shooting. I am so glad for digital.
On south again and a quick diversion off route six to visit the village of Blackball an old mining town to see the refurbished hotel called “Formerly known as the Blackball Hilton” What a great job they have done. Once upon a time the Hilton Hotel chain demanded they change the name Hilton Hotel and so they did. This is also the town where the New Zealand Labour Party began. With the price of gold going out the roof a lot of the residents went back to gold panning the rivers here.
Back to route 6 and across the river to visit Greymouth. Be sure to stop at the I-Center and visit Gina to get all the best information and perhaps take a tour of the Monteiths Brewery.
On south we journeyed to come to rest at one of my favourite holiday parks on the north edge of Hokitika the Shining Star Holiday Park right on the beach.
We settled in for the evening after going down to the beach to enjoy one of those special West Coast sunsets. If you do not feel peaceful here it will never happen. We visited the llamas and the kunikuni pig along with the other animals that call this home. What a great job they have done here.
Met up with some great visitors here from California and London. One of the real treats of going by camper van you get the opportunity to meet a lot of good folks in a relaxed setting at the holiday parks.
Shining Star Holiday Park - Hokitika
