Motueka to Hokitika

Drove along the west coast of the South Island today. The feel is much more rural that the North Island and the seascapes seem more rugged. That is not to say that they don’t have fabulous beaches but it just looks a little less inviting.

Went through the town of Westport with an unfriendly overcast sky and didn’t really see too much of interest so kept heading down the coast. Stopped at the pancake rocks at Punakaiki which are a strange rock and blowhole formation on the seashore. Looked for the dolphins and whales rumoured to be in the area but no luck.

Next stop was Greymouth where we found the sewage treatment outflow while walking along the restored wharf and, again, decided to head onward. Stopped for the night after about 5-6 hours of driving the seacoast and the coastal plain. The hostel was just across the road from the beach so we grilled on the deck and tried to watch the sun set on the water.