The West Coast

The west coast of the South Island has a rugged raw beauty and according to Lonely Planet is one of the top 10 scenic coastal drives in the world.  I've not driven the entire length, however, have been up as far as the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes.

It was a cool cloudy and somewhat foggy rainy day when we visited, however, that didn't stop us from getting out and doing the 20 minute loop walk to view the rocks and the blowholes. Absolutely magnificent!  I'd love to also see them in clear weather one day.  

The blowholes were big and very impressive, probably due in part to the weather the day we visited.  There is also lots of bird in the area and some of them nest among the rocks. Mother nature sure is amazing! 

After our walk in the cold and wet, we were able to go across the road where there is a little roadside pancake cafe.  Their pancakes are delicious and it was a great way to round off the visit.

Greymouth is one of the larger towns on the west coast and is where the train line goes to when you catch the Tranz Alpine Train.  It's a bit like the landing point for arriving on the west coast.  

There is a walkway along the coastal side of town where there is a monument and memorial to miners who died in a mine accident.  We spent a little time there reading what was written and counting our blessings.

I thought I'd try doing a slightly shorter post this time as many of my posts so far have been quite long, so will continue on with the west coast in my next post.  Although, having said that, I tend to keep writing when I'm on a roll so I can't guarantee my next post will be a shorter one too!