Heading to the West Coast

Long drive from Collingwood high on the Abel Tasman peninsula towards Greymouth on the West Coast. Interesting and varied road, but so many corners and bends to contend with. Broke up a journey by staying overninght in a basic DOC (Department of Conservation) camp ground on the Old Ghost Road - an old route from the now disappeared gold rush town to the processor on the West Coast. The route is now a two day mountain bike ride theough the wild and high mountains. The route back may be a little easier for some as there is a helicopter service to return riders and bikes to the start! Landed in the middle of the campsite with bikes on a special rack attached - now there's an idea for downhilling....
Next morning headed to Westport on the coast and turned left for the West Coast, heading South. This will be our path for the next week or two. After stopping off at Cape Foulwind in weather that described the location, a quick cliff top walk watching the crashing waves and a run back to the car. Further on at Kaipakati point there is a small seal colony with lots of young pups, many of whom were splashing around in a nursery pool. After setting up the tent in Punakaiki we explored the pancake rocks and blowholes. These are amazing stacked rocks that have been eroded by the sea to create some really interesting stacks and formations. At high tide the sea rushes through the rocks and emerges as plumes of water. Nearby is the Punakaiki caves which you can explore, however without a torch we didn't venture too far. The landscape here is rugged but very tropical with fern trees and lots of very dense foliage.Read more