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Detailed travelogue on Australia and New Zealand

Detailed Travelogue on Australia and New Zealand

Larry
2006-05-27 03:23:16

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south island's
northwest coast. The Lonely Planet Guide raved about the drive between
Greymouth and Westport, so I decided to take it, even though I'd be spending
the night in Hokitika (in the opposite direction). The drive is nice, but I
didn't find it to be as awe-inspiring as the Lonely Planet made it out to
be. It's a thin, winding road through seaside cliffs and actually resembles
the California coast somewhat (perhaps that's why I wasn't so inspired by
it -- because it's something I can see at home). To be fair though, I think
the road is better viewed driving in the Westport -> Greymouth direction
rather than the Greymouth -> Westport direction that I took.
There are a few interesting spots along the way that are worth stopping
at though, and one of them is Punakaiki (also known as the Pancake Rocks).
This is an area filled with layered rocks that look like stacks of pancakes
all along the coast, and when the tide is right, there's a blowhole. It
also seems to be a favorite hang-out spot for the local seal population.
For the drive back from Westport -> Greymouth, I decided to take the
less-direct circular inland route to have a look around. The area is
somewhat spartan, but still filled with beautiful scenery that is typical of
the entire south island.

HOKITIKA

I spent the evening in a small town called Hokitika. I figured it would
be closer to the glaciers than Greymouth, and, as a smaller town, nicer. It
was.
I arrived into town late, but there was still plenty of sunlight. After
checking into a nice B&B called Teichelmann's, I went out for a walk.
There's a nice clock-tower in the center of town, and many old, historic
buildings, including an old library building that the town is trying to
refurbish. Hokitika's main industry, if you could call it ...

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