Up early in the morning to use the smelly facilities and catch the sunrise.

On returning and pulling out the cooking station our friend the weka appeared. He patiently watched us fry the eggs, toast the bagels, chop the avocado, spread the cream cheese and eat them. Once he realised he wasn’t getting any off he went to try his luck elsewhere.

Gas, gas and more gas

We soon got on the road and headed for Westport where we picked up fresh water and gas for the tank.  We also bought another gas cylinder for cooking.  There was a bundle of games in an op shop we passed, too good a deal to leave.  The lady at the counter gassed about how lucky we were as she’d only just put them as a bundle. The games included card cluedo, poker dice, jenga, dominoes, snakes and ladders and a couple more, all for $5 (£2.20), bargain!

At one of our viewpoints we noticed some caves.  Again these were only accessible at low tide which had just turned so we went straight there.  When we got to the beach there was a driftwood chair for one, of course we tried it.  We passed a few people who were disappointed, as although the tide was out, there was still the river to cross. This appeared shallow, but had a six foot trench running down to the sea. Undeterred, we rolled up our shorts, went up to our knees and followed the  shallower part of the river down to the sea.  A lucky break, where the river widened a bit, there was a sandbank to the other side. It was no deeper than what we were wading through so across we went. To ensure we returned to the same spot we drew a big arrow in the sand and took a photo of the rocks.

The crossing was definitely worth it.  There was a network of caves,  many interlinked.  There were also four other people fully dressed exploring the caves. They left via a grass path the other side of the caves.  Oh well, crossing the river was an adventure in itself.  With the beach to ourselves and the tide starting to come in, we had a quick exploration. This of course included some playing around on the rocks.

We stopped at a couple more view points, including a walk on the Truman Track. This proved to be a little gem. After a small walk we arrived at a viewing platform overlooking two beaches. Surprise surprise there were warning signs here.  This time they advised that one of the beaches would be cut off at high tide. As it was still fairly low tide we proceeded to the beach.  A lot of messing around and a very fresh shower from the cliff side waterfall before continuing the adventure to our main destination.

As we were leaving the beach a pick-up truck pulled alongside us.  The dad got out so we said hello, behind him came was his wife carrying a picnic basket.  They were subsequently followed by three very young children who all waved to say hi.  All five were dressed in their traditional blue Maui costumes and ready for a day relaxing on the beach. Us however were off to reach our next adventure destination for the day,  the Pancakes and Blowholes of Punakaiki.

A short walk through the rainforest brought us out on a paved loop lined with New Zealand Flax plants and Chorus Cicada.  Cicada, like their namesake in Australia, are little flying insects that produce a deafening high-pitched droning sound during the summer months to attract their mates that can reach between 100 and 120 decibels. This is the same level as a chainsaw or aircraft,  no wonder we didn’t get much sleep in the tent before. It’s often referred to as a Mexican wave through the trees,  when one cicada starts they all start in domino rally fashion.

No blow, no show

Once we had gotten to the ‘pancake rocks’ we were blown away by the sheer magnitude of these awesome stacks.  No bacon or  maple syrup on these for the two Americans in front of us who were just rushing around to see the blow holes.  These Dolomite  Point stacks were formed in a similar way to the oil reserves at the bottom of the ocean. Made some 30 million years ago from layers of dead Marine creatures and plants crushed together on the seabed in alternating hard limestone and soft mudstone. These were then uplifted by seismic activity and eroded by the forces of nature into the pancake-like tower formations before us.

Talking to one of the locals they explained how we wouldn’t see the blowholes today fire to the calm seas and the way the wind was blowing.  The power of the ocean on these hidden cavities can force the water up a couple of hundred feet when the conditions were right.  Alas, today was not that day.

Pick up a penguin

There were also signs that this was a significant area for wildlife,  especially bird and marine life. Around dawn and dusk seals and the tiny New Zealand Blue Penguins can be seen here.  A bit like the koalas in Australia, they eluded us, maybe next time…

After traveling another couple of miles we arrived at another free campervan site.  It was full so we parked semi illegally and cooked a delicious chicken and veg curry with rice. 

Fire in the sky

Just as we are walking to the beach a police car came down the stand.  They enforce the law for the council and issue the $200 fines for illegal parking as they only have limited self-contained van spaces you can use.  He took an interest in the van, but it was just about in so he drove on through – phew. We got to the beach just in time to capture the sunset.  Although there were very low clouds, the formation of them where the sun set looked like a volcano erupting in the distance.  The sky was on fire. 

We returned after being attacked once again by sand flies. Deciding to take a new approach to counteract them, Vegemite. An Ozzie trick that many say is just a myth but worth a try as we are now looking like we have chickenpox on the ankles and wrists. Apparently it takes a few days to work so wait and see.  For now a spoonful before some new games.