As there were no facilities at McMillan Beach, and we were parked illegally. We headed ten minutes back up the road to  Pancake Rocks. The visitor centre was nearby where there were toilets accessible from the road.  To our surprise these were open at 07:30.  There was no one else around so it was also time for a cheeky shave. We popped across the road to see the penguins but they must have already left.

Refreshed and toileted we headed south to find a breakfast spot. We found an idyllic  location at Bakers Creek.

Miners memorial

On our journey we passed the Strongman Mine Memorial.  It was dedicated to the 19 miners who lost their lives in the methane explosion in January 1967. Only for the explosion to crack the rock further down the mine and let in a stream of water which quenched the flames.  Many more of the 240 miners down the pit that day would have been killed had that not happened.  The mine was closed due to safety measures not being properly adhered to. We paid our respects,  had a coffee and hot lemon in the van before properly starting our long journey down the west coast. 

H²O for the road

We nipped into Greymouth to top up our water bottles (7.5L worth) from the free water fountains,  ready for next week in the mountains.  You can never have enough water as we found out five weeks ago in The Blue Mountains of Australia. We are also trying to keep our carbon footprint as low as we possibly can,  conscious the van can guzzle fuel if we don’t drive in eco mode and at sensible speeds. In the park and at other areas there are lots of Maui artwork with messages of peace and love.

Like in Australia whilst on the road, we hadn’t always planned definitive stops in advance, just had a rough idea with a few possibilities in mind.  Our possible next stops were still an hour away when we came across a few signs. One to warn of snails crossing, one has a man acting like a snail crossing the road and one for the reservoir. 

It was almost lunch time so we instinctively made a stop.  The first thing that stood out were the toilets.  In the middle of nowhere they were immaculately clean and there wasn’t the usual stench we have come to associate with the long drop toilets.  The reservoir was a ginormous lake with only one other couple there when we arrived.

Dip, dip hooray

Within minutes the gentleman was in for a swim while his wife had a walk.  When he exited the water we asked him about swimming and he informed us that Kapitea Lake was a popular swimming spot for locals and tourists alike as well as kayaking, jet skis and motorboats.  He said he hasn’t seen it so quiet, but informed us about the annual coast to coast race tomorrow that took between one and three days.  The roads around the lake would be closed from 06:30 and packed with cyclists whilst the lake jammed with canoists and kayakers making the journey from west to east.  We didn’t need any more encouragement about the swim and took the plunge.  Surprisingly the water tempreture was about 19⁰C when we were expecting about 5⁰C.  While we were swimming there was suddenly a hive of activity in the car park.  Lots of dog walkers,  a kayaker and a handful of other swimmers.  Two guys swimming near us explained that they were  working locally and often pop down for a dip and a bbq during their lunch break.  One had a dog who took a particular shine to us. 

We also had our lunch there before searching locally for our next challenge.

Fairy Glen and the Forbidden Tunnels

We had planned taking a look at the tunnel walk before coming across the lake.  We read the web said one tunnel was closed due to a serious rock slide, but the other was open.  So near, so we might as well. 

The path looked like it was straight out of a Brothers Grimm fairytale, with small paths, hidden shapes in the logs and the feeling that fairies were watching from behind every leaf. Like most fairy tales there is always another perspective, or a villain waiting to pounce. This isn’t the the wicked witch with her red apple or a house made of sweets, there are no seven dwarfs, but you can sense the magical adventure ahead. At the tunnels there may be strange going ons as there are warning signs not to enter yet we can see a clear passage to the other side. Wait. I hear movements, were those fallen rocks there before?  Turn back, run, NO! Nothing there but let’s not chance taking the short cut through this  unstable passage.  Like ‘The Fellowship’ we can no longer cut through the dwarf tunnels and will have to go high over the mountain (or in this case the woods). We made it out safely, next stop please.

Gold digger

We had read about the gold Rush of New Zealand and how in some rivers the.y still pan for it.  Could this be our lucky day as we passed a sign that here was the place to try your luck.  We had more natural riches to behold.

Although,  there were no signs, we knew the lake wasn’t a camping site, but who’s going to check this far out of town.  We returned to the lake and cooked dinner.  Sat around for a while planning the next few days. At dusk we went for another swim and waited for the stars to come out as there was no light pollution.  Wouldn’t you know it, it clouded over completely.  So a quick game of cards over a piece of  dark chocolate.  One square each per night, what a treat then it was off to sleep before the big race in the morning came by our way.