Kiwi Exp. - Kaiteriteri to Westport

Kaiteriteri sat sullen as a beach town out of season with only birds occupying the sands but it didn't matter to us as we weren't staying around. We drove to our first stop, the Nelson Lakes, where in summer you can take a jump off the short wooden pier into the deep blue waters surrounded by hills and mountains. However today, in winter, no one attempted to do this at risk of going into shock from the icy temperatures. Instead we took in the views from the pier and fed cat food to eels, who congregate in the shadows under the planking. Clouds drifted low under snow sprinkled peaks like the aftermath of a great fire.

After a short hike through rain sodden forest on the shoreline we drove down through valleys of pine and past fast flowing rivers swollen by the rains. The clouds continued to haunt the hillsides as we past under the towering greenery.

The absence of other vehicles or homes for miles upon miles gave the landscape a sense of emptiness. The South Island's population is far less than that of its Northern brother, with the entire island having only as many people as those that populate Auckland. There are only 30,000 between Kaiteriteri and one of our future destinations, Franz Josef.

We chased the fading light and the prospect of a hot meal to our final stop, Westport, where we cooked up steak and chips from the local supermarket and washed it down with New Zealand pale ale. We sat around the table, old friends (it feels that way after 2 or more weeks travelling together) and new, drinking beer, sharing jokes and learning French with Perrick.Read more