South Island West Coast Region 2020 Westport to Ross

Westport to Ross

West Coast Region South Island

New Zealand

2020

Greymouth

2nd night here free parking weather has been good today but yesterday on our way here we skipped Punakaiki that is on my must-do list for a nice day and sadly it was raining.

So we need to backtrack but in the meantime want to join Selwyn and Lynda on the bike trails.

This is a great freedom camping spot right on the beach love it. Thanks, Greymouth if you want to attract the business you have succeeded with us we have spent a reasonable amount here so far.

Wilderness Trail

Greymouth to Kumara stage 1

Setting off from the Greymouth historic railway station with Linda and Selwyn, pretty much flat riding 31km to Kumara.

Jacque dropped our Motorhome off at Kumara then carried onto Christchurch with Robin to get a service on their Motorhome, so we didn’t need to do the return trip on the bikes. Back to Greymouth to pickup Selwyn’s Motorhome then we all drove to Goldsborough Doc Camp for the night ready for stage 2 although there is a good walk to do here

Tunnel Terrace walk

From the Goldsborough Doc Camp, we walked to the Tunnel Terrace. An interesting walk in the old gold mining days they used sluicing.

Wilderness Trail

Kumara to Cowboy Paradise

After our walk this morning we moved to Kapitea Reservoir for lunch then cycled to Kumara and back the first part of Cowboy Paradise. Tomorrow we will return and park at the reservoir for more of the track the other way.

Tonight parking at Kumara community sports ground.

Tonight's park Wilderness Trail

Kumara to Cowboy Paradise

On the way to park up at the Kapitea Reservoir we stopped at the historic swimming baths, it is an amazing history.

We finished stage 2 of the trail 55km return cycle from the Reservoir to Cowboy Paradise and back.

Staying tonight at Links View Holiday Park Hokitika on NZMCA Camp Saver.

On the trail

Hokitika Beautiful scenery

Hokitika

Lake Mahinapua

Tonight’s park Doc Camp

Hokitika

Link View Holiday Park

Today we are just south of Hokitika back at the Link View Holiday Park, we thought it the best place for Frog to rest having stuffed his back again.

Lynda and Selwyn have started back to Motueka we will have a go at finishing the Wilderness Trail later.

Greymouth

Staying the night at Nelson Quay, Frog's back is a lot better today still having trouble sitting so we are better to keep moving now.

Tomorrow's plan is to backtrack to Punakaiki the weather is forecast to rain for several days after tomorrow.

Nelson Quay Greymouth Sunset tonight

This morning's splendid waves

Punakaiki Rocks

We went to Punakaiki Rocks this morning, although it was high tide the blowhole wasn’t working probably cause of the offshore wind.

Back in Greymouth for the night.

Greymouth

Staying the night back at Nelson Quay

What a difference a day makes

Reefton

Slab Hutt Creek Doc camp tonight’s stay if it looks safe when we get there (steady rain now), probably no internet or phone coverage.

Having lunch in Blackball got some salami.

Reefton

Easy morning looking around town then after lunch

We did the powerhouse walk or should I say a 40-minute stroll, getting back just in time before the rain set in.

Tonight free parking in town beside the river

Lake Brunner

The weather is sad so we decided to move to Lake Brunner Motorcamp on NZMCA Campsaver until it clears.

On the way, we stopped to look over the Hokitika-built Davidson logging locomotive near Ngahere.

Robert was intrigued by it being chain-driven.

The next stop was the Brunner mine and memorial to victims of West Coast mining disasters.

Lake Brunner

Today it stopped raining after lunch giving us a chance for a walk.

Lake Brunner boat ramp

Shag

Lake Brunner

Lake Brunner from the swing bridge

Looking at the river on our walk

today the cloud lifted to show the snowcaps

Lake Brunner

Iveagh Bay

Lake Brunner

Mitchells Scenic Reserve

Carew Falls then Lake walk

Lake Kaniere

Dorothy Falls

From camp this morning we biked to Dorothy Falls then carried on to do a 21km round trip.

Selwyn Buckett around the lake track is closed at the moment because of dangerous fallen trees, so we will miss that one.

Lake Kaniere

Doc Camp Site

Home for a few days weather forecast is not great for Monday after that hope to do the 3rd Section of the Wilderness Trail.

Lake Kaniere

Wilderness Trail stage 3

We cycled from camp to Hokitika stopped for a cafe lunch then home 48km return, an easy trail with some of it on the road.

The bush part was nice with a few interesting things to take a photo of.

Tomorrow weather permitting we will do the other way from the camp of stage 3 up to Cowboy.

Lake Kaniere

Wilderness Trail stage 3 completed

We cycled from camp to Cowboy 32kms return.

We can see why it’s called the wilderness trail, a beautiful part of the country.

The river is blue and the forest is dense, damp, and full of moss. It’s jade country and I could see some big boulders.

Lake Kaniere

Sunset on our last night here is such a peaceful beautiful place at this time of year.

Hokitika Gorge

Couldn’t help but marvel over this must-see attraction, it’s nature’s garden at its best.

They are still working on another new viewing platform and whoever has been contracted to do the work is doing an AAA+ job.

The aqua blue colour of the pure water is stunning and the walking paths have been expertly landscaped, so nice to walk on and admire the forest without having to watch where we walk

Hokitika

Had a walk around town after lunch finishing with the Kiwi House although no photos of the big fat Kiwis that came from the Otorohanga Kiwi House in our home town lol, plenty of photos of the eel feeding.

Hokitika

We stayed last night at the NZMCA camp and this morning we did half of stage 4 of the wilderness trail 33 km return to camp. It was mostly bush-covered trail so good riding, we turned around at the Tree Top Walk complex deciding to do that some other time

Ross

Last night we stayed at Lake Mahinapua Doc Camp.

Woke up to light showers so skipped the walks and headed for Ross.

Wilderness Trail

Ross Stage 4

We finished stage 4 at Ross today mainly flat riding along the old rail route then out to the Tree Top Walk again this time stopping for lunch, after lunch the showers had set in again so it wasn’t meant to be for the treetop walk this time.

We finished the wilderness trail

this part trail is long and straight and goes on and on forever

Lake Ianthe Matahi

Doc Camp tonight’s Park

sunset

a couple of hard case lads made their own boat

their catch

cleaning the fish the eels came for a feed

looking out over the lake

Franz Josef Glacier

Staying for the next wee while at NZMCA camp at Franz Josef Glacier Township.

A couple of stops this morning along the way with a walk starting 8 km from Okarito overlooking the forest out to sea, then after lunch the Terrace walk at the far end of town and a look through the shops.

The rain has started again tonight hopefully, we will be able to do some sightseeing tomorrow between showers.

Oh and we had two firsts today a car flicked a stone and cracked our windscreen today, and we saw our first Kea flying overhead.