To Hokitika

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Sat 30 Aug 2014 22:07
To Hokitika
 
 
 
 
 
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We got up to a beautiful morning. Sadly, time to move on.
 
 
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Not too many miles later we were sitting beside Lake Mapourika. It lies north of Franz Josef Glacier, our last stop, and the out-flowing Ōkārito River drains it into the Ōkārito Lagoon. It is the largest of the West Coast lakes, a glacier formation from the last ice age. Since the water from glacial melts no longer drains into the lake, it is filled with fresh rain water which runs through the surrounding forest floor, collecting tannins, giving it its dark colour. As the winds of the region sweep high above the mountains of the Southern Alps, the water is left unruffled and quite reflective of the forest on the lake fringes. To our right we watched the morning mist, a very different scene to the one straight ahead.

 

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Coming from the UK it seems strange to think that here in New Zealand you cannot buy trout, it’s illegal, but, you can fish for your own and ask a smoker or restaurant to prepare it for you. People do adhere to the size rules and we have seen policeman stop an obvious fisherman and check his catch.

 

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We enjoyed a stop at Ōkārito and looked at the quiet seascape.

 

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Driving along Highway 6 and taking in the scenery.

 

 

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A ‘one careful owner’ that will be entered in the ‘with a view’ category.

 

 

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Nearing Harihari, love the name.

 

 

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Ladies in a field and a pile driver, as you would expect to see........

 

 

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The most beautiful blooms on a tree by a shack, in front of a mountain.....

 

 

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A road bridge long enough to need a passing bay over a wide river bed, wonder what this would look like in full flood.

 

 

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We stopped at this fairly random memorial to find out who it was dedicated to, as we do, to find it was placed in 1968 to the Early Surveyors.

 

 

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The view the Surveyors look out at.

 

 

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A few miles out from Hokitika we found a shelter, we stopped in case it was one of the amazing information boards we have become addicted to. There were loads of advertisements for local businesses and attractions and a few maps.
 
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Opposite was an abandoned railway bridge.

 

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So today – stops at Lake Mapourika to see the morning mist rise, Ōkārito for the non-existent heron which took us to the wetlands of Whataroa, where we passed Our Lady of the Woods and found the walk at Waitangitaona Wetland. Tourism Radio told us about Guy Menzies, a detour to Harihari, a pit stop at Ross and eventually to camp at Hokitika. We are so pleased that nothing has been forward planned in stone, so we have time to fill our days as they happen.

 

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ALL IN ALL A FULL, BUSY AND INTERESTING DAY

                     UNPLANNED VARIATIONS AND SURPRISES