The next bit of the trip is to drive down the west coast, hoping that luck will be on our side and we won’t be spending the whole time in torrential rainfall which can descend with tropical intensity for days at a time! So today we drove across and made one stop halfway at Buller Gorge, where we crossed New Zealand’s longest swing bridge, 110m, across the Buller river below. We went on a short bushwalk then returned on the 160m long zipwire which was fun!
The road continued beside the Buller river almost to the coast. The skies got greyer and the heavens opened. The rain cleared as we reached the coast and we shortly found our campsite at Punakaiki, right by the beach.
The Punakaiki Tavern proved to be within walking distance so rather than another camper curry, we had ribeye and veggie burger respectively. The pub was busy and we shared a table with Jonathan from Quebec and Marieke from The Hague and spent an entertaining evening with them swapping travel tales and tips. We hope we didn’t spoil their evening, as it took a while for us to realise that they were newly acquainted!
During the night, we were rocked by blustery wind and lashed by rain which hadn’t let up much by morning, and Chris ventured out in his very smart red Peruvian poncho, which he said was about as much use as a chocolate fireguard in the wind!
Waiting for the rain to subside, we had scrambled eggs for breakfast, using up the eggs that cracked when, taking a bend a bit fast, the fridge door opened and the entire contents ended up on the floor of the van!
Anyway, fortified, and despite the rain, we were determined to have a look at the reason we are here … The Pancake Rocks and Blowholes so we left the dry of the campervan in waterproofs shorts and thongs.
Fortunately, the rain stopped as we walked round, and the rough sea made the blowholes particularly spectacular. The limestone rocks have weathered to give them a layered appearance like a stack of pancakes and very photogenic with their garnish of lush foliage.
Next a little sortie inland …
Off Travelling Together 