2025 August - Central Otago & West Coast

It's  Friday 1st August and we spend another 2 nights parked at our friend, Derek's, holiday house at Lake Hayes it being a great spot to spend time in Arrowtown and do some cycling on the numerous paths. We used our Bee Cards on the bus to go to David Attenborough's excellent movie "Ocean" which was a real eye-opener especially when it showed the devastating damage being done to the ocean floor from dredging with many  factory ships contributing to the complete elimination of the coral and sea-life in their path. The movie was at Dorothy Browns Theatre which is an experience in itself being a fabulous boutique, heritage cinema, bar and bookstore in historic Arrowtown. It is considered by many to be the best boutique theatre in NZ and we would have to agree. After the movie we enjoyed lunch at Kahwah Cafe with our old Ohope friends, Owen & Gilda, who now live in Queenstown, having drinks with them afterwards in Heidi when they dropped us back on their way home.

Our gloved fingers were numb

One giant leap

The next day we drove into Arrowtown where we managed to find a park in the all-day parking spot so we could cycle the 13.7 km each way along the Arrow Bridges Trail to AJ Hackett's Bungy where we had lunch and watched some of the brave jumpers. There was a heavy frost when we set off and it was a white winter wonderland for at least the first half of the track making the scenery especially beautiful. It's a Grade 2 trail, being graded as easy but there were some steep narrow bits that gave us a good workout with our tiny bike wheels trying to miss the ruts.  My front brake was playing up and I realised it was sticking so I was still having to pedal going downhill which didn't help - it certainly made a great workout when going uphill! Len managed to fix it when we got back home and I couldn't believe how easy the next bike ride was.

Of course we had to buy some pies and a shared custard square from the famous little Bakery in Arrowtown the following day even though it wasn't a "pie day" with the sun shining beautifully. 

O,L,T&G

In the afternoon we played golf at the Arrowtown golf course with Owen & Gilda, it being their home club, with Len being the winner of the day and the rest of us all being equal on Stableford points. We only had time for 9 holes and it was good that it was the back 9 as we had played the front 9 before with O&G. I found it difficult though with it being 'up and down' with many                                                                                    rocks impeding play. 

Pukaki view from Heidi

After golf we drove on to the Driftaway Holiday Park on the lake edge in Frankton, Queenstown, a fabulous newly updated camp with great, clean facilities and amenities. From here we did lots of walking around the lake, had dinner with O&G at Bombay Palace, it being so good to have all this time to catch up with them, and played golf with Owen on the 9 hole course at Frankton the following day after not being able to drain our grey waste at the campground as it was partially frozen. The golf course also had some ice on the greens but I loved this course with it being flat and all par 3's and 4's and I had my best round for ages, stableford-wise. Len did the 9 holes in less than half his age which is a good achievement so the course suited him also.

Look at the size of this hailstone!

Once on our way again we stopped for lunch in Heidi in the Bungy carpark on the way to Cromwell, parking that night at the Lowburn Camp on the edge of Lake Dunstan where we rose early to meet up with my great nephew, Joseph, Amber and their lovely children Hunter & Hazel plus Glenda, Amber's Mum for coffee (breakfast for them but we'd had ours) at the Garden Centre in Cromwell which was a good venue.

A,H,G,H,J,L&T

They used to live in Queenstown but have moved to Coromandel very recently and just happened to be in Cromwell for a little holiday with Glenda. We were so lucky to catch that window as we hadn't seen the children for 12 years and it was a great catch-up. Jo suggested that we should stay at Kidds Bush Reserve DOC camp, with it's beautiful views, on our way through to the West Coast so we tried to drive along the long road into there but it became more and wet and slippery making us realised it was a bad idea as more rain was predicted. We were very lucky to find a rare spot that we could turn around and it was such a relief to not be so scared. It's something we'd have to do in summer. Instead we travelled on to the Makarora Country Cafe and Camp, the Cafe itself being closed as the owners were on holiday but we could pay the "minder" in the house at the back and get the code for the toilet and shower and we were able to put the damp clothes that hadn't dried properly at the laundromat into the drier to complete the process.  Sleep however was rather disturbed with dogs barking nonstop from 9.30 to at least 10.30 and then again really early in the morning. There was steady light rain throughout the night with heavier downfalls in the morning. 

All alone in Cameron Flat apart from the sandflies!

The DOC camp at Cameron Flat, over the road from the Blue Pools which we have been to a couple of times before, was a good place to stay the next night. Quite a large area but, being winter, we were the only ones there overnight. It was still raining constantly so I could work on the blog, staying dry in Heidi.

Luckily we woke to a clear sky and fresh snow on the peaks around us with the sun coming out briefly before it clouded over again. We walked to the Blue Pools but unfortunately they were just a dull green from the rain and I felt sorry for the tourists not being able to see how beautiful they can be. 

A romantic moment

We visited Thunder Falls again and further down the road followed the lovely path in the trees to the distant Roaring Billy Falls, across the river with the wide area of stones leading to it, in the light rain - the first time we have used an umbrella on this trip I think. We had one night in the park at Haast Lodge with it's very outdated and limited facilities and not worth the $50 but I guess times are tough on the West Coast. 

Munro Beach

The prices to stay at the DOC camps have also gone up with it being $36 to stay at the DOC camp the next night at Paringa Lake but what a beautiful spot with it's views straight out over the picturesque blue lake. On the way there we stopped, again, at Munro Beach, to do the 1.5 hour return walk along the good, gentle path but sadly not hearing any birdsong until we were about halfway there. Penguins nest at this beach but it was the wrong time of day for any to be about. The sky was blue but the sea was very rough - just one other couple seen whilst here. 

Beautiful Lake Paringa

In the morning there was low fog over Lake Paringa, still a beautiful picture, and after a wander and lunch we moved on to Fox Glacier but didn't do the walk up to the Glacier as it's too depressing - each time we have been it has receded by SO much and I just don't want to see how far away it is now after last seeing it 6 years ago. 

Aoraki reflected in Lake Matheson

But we did enjoy walking around Lake Matheson again, this time anticlockwise which took about 1.5 hours with some steepish sections. We struck a good day for seeing the amazing reflections it offers and is a place you would never tire of visiting. After the walk we were just in time to buy a coffee from the Cafe before it closed.

We were the only ones staying at the NZMCA Park in Franz Joseph that night, walking the long way round to the King Tiger restaurant for dinner as I didn't know there was a footpath alongside the main road. We had a lovely dinner, Prawn Thai Curry for me, Lamb Rogan Josh for Len, later realising that we actually ate there 6 years ago as well. 

Tunnel entrance - trainers off, Crocs on

In the morning we had beautiful sunshine and Len did the walk to the Tatare Tunnel which he found had a interesting history and made him appreciate the hard work that must have gone into digging the tunnel, whilst I did the easier Terrace walk in the bush hearing the most birdsong for quite a while. I picked some wild violets on the roadside on the way back to Heidi and then we drove on to Okarito where, again, we have been before but it was a bit hazy in Len's memory - we have                                                                                    seen so much. 

North from Okarito Trig

Len did the whole trig walk again, which initially goes through the Wetland Boardwalk, but I only went halfway as I remembered from the last time that the end of the walk is very steep.  There are great widespread views from up the top however.

Okarito lagoon

Coming away we stopped at the lagoon to take some photos before driving on to the deserted Whataroa Golf Club where we could stay the night and play the next day for a mere $10 each.  We had a very quiet night and there was a frost overnight again which gave a lovely sunny day. For some reason I enjoyed the course more than last time when it was probably very dry - the sun, snow-topped mountains, trees, very deep, wide, stony & bouldery ditches all added to the charm. A pity that we were the only ones there.

Lake Mahinapua DOC camp, about 10 minutes south of Hotikita, with decent toilets and several 'nooks and crannies' to park is a great place to stay although we only had one night there. Only a few other campers although in summer it is reputedly very busy. Of course it's the wrong time of year to swim but we did the half hour return walk to Swimming Beach which actually was hardly a beach but a nice walk.

There was another frost overnight which led to a beautiful sunny day after a quiet night in the camp with no-one staying near us. After enjoying the 10 minute Bellbird Walk nearby we did the 1.5 hour return Mahinapua Tramline walk to Picnic Point from the south end this time as we have previously cycled the trail from the North to Picnic Point although the last part leading down to the lake isn't cyclable, being muddy and scrambly over rocks for quite a bit of the way. A good walk though with us only seeing a couple of cyclists on the main trail en-route.

The popular NZMCA Park at Hokitika was our home for the next 3 nights and during this time we meandered around the town following the "Interesting Sites" trail, walked along the river and the beach. 

A gorgeous gorge

A highlight was driving to the Hokitika Gorge again and seeing the stunning turquoise blue of the water. The track has been extended since we were there last time and the circle walk is one of those 'must dos'. 

Lake Kaniere

Lunch that day was at peaceful Lake Kaniere overlooking the water, then we had the silly idea to drive up the road to see Dorothy Falls again - we had clearly forgotten that the gravel road is very narrow and windy and not at all suited for a fairly large motorhome. We breathed a sigh of relief after not encountering any other vehicles and have made a mental note not to do that again to see falls that are pretty but not a must-do! I think our Wairaka one, although different, would match it in beauty. After a refreshing 30 minute return walk through the bush to Canoe Cave we returned to the NZMCA Park from where we walked over the long Hokitika Bridge into town for dinner. We were disappointed to find that the Korath Thai Restaurant was closed for a probably much needed holiday but, instead, found our way to the busy Hokitika Club where we had a delicious roast, a dinner which never happens in Heidi! On the way home we were treated to the most glorious sunset from the bridge.

Sunset over the Hokitika River mouth

A place of learning

Unlike Len I'm not normally very enthusiastic about going to museums but the 2 hours or so that we spent in the Hokitika Museum the next day where they also show a long, but very interesting film of the area's history, was well worth it. I even learnt that they canned whitebait for sale which I didn't know before. Being on the West Coast I'm already savouring the future fritters that I'm going to have when the season opens in a couple of weeks. The museum itself is in a lovely old historic building that used to be the Library with the old Fire Station next door having been turned into Boutique Accommodation. Lunch was at the Sushi place over the road from the Museum but sadly it wasn't a place I'd rush to go back to - we're too used to the lovely fresh sushi that we get in Whakatane and other bigger places.

Greymouth, the next stop, has a couple of very good freedom camping spots either side of the river close to the mouth and we stayed at Nelson Quays, the one by the Cobden Aromahama Sanctuary & Recreation area, virtually overlooking the river and the sea, where there is also a picturesque little lake to walk around although that day was very cold and windy, not a rare thing for Greymouth. Surprisingly, a local told us, the lake used to be the town rubbish dump so they have done a great job to make it very scenic with lots of planting. We had stayed in the freedom camp area close by, at Jellyman Park, with the boisterous thumping of the sea, years ago but the site was apparently destroyed by Cyclone Fehi in 2018 so now the area for vehicles to park is much smaller. We had about 8 other vans parked nearby and felt lucky that it was winter as it would be difficult to procure a spot in summer.

A big thumbs up to the Greymouth Council for not only providing these parking areas but also for keeping the very modern spacious toilets, with Dyson hand driers, kept exceptionally clean by cleaners who come twice daily.

On Sunday after watching the ABs play Argentina we played golf at the Greymouth Club luckily managing to get on to the course just before the the men who start at 11.45am. I only played 9 Holes but Len continued on to complete the 18, both of us enjoying the course which we have played in the past. It was the most beautiful sunny day and we both had to do a big strip down to our T-shirts partway round the course. Afterwards we had a good chat, over a drink, with Nancy who has been the Club Secretary for 13 years and who, like a lot of other clubs, is finding it difficult to enthuse someone to replace her. Her husband, Paul, has been President for some years also. We were made welcome, as other motor-homers are, to stay the night at the course again.

Monday 18th was a totally different day being cold, very windy and accompanied by heavy rain. We learnt from the locals that they are katabatic winds, this particular one being called "The Barber" featuring strong cold downdrafts funnelling through the gap in the mountains and causing a rapid drop in the temperature which it sure did. After parking at the south side of the wild river entrance for lunch we braved the outside world for a short time to go the the movie "The Life of Chuck" based on a Stephen King novella - not a horror but rather different with the story unfolding in reverse chronological order and leaving you with many thoughts. That night we parked by the north side of the river mouth again at Nelson Quays River mouth which was very busy with vehicles, maybe 17 or 18. The night was wild with continuing heavy rain and wind gusts shaking Heidi making it difficult to sleep. 

Wild Grey River mouth

T,Q&L

In the morning we managed a walk down to the heads and around the lake again before going into town to the Info centre and bank. That night we joined the Greymouth Rotary Club members for their dinner meeting at the Paroa Hotel where we could use the public parking area behind to stay the night. We were made very welcome especially by the President, Quentin, Gary Hopkinson and Robin. The speaker was the new principal at Kaniere and she gave us a good insight of the challenges she has faced in her journey.

Sea washed conglomerate

The sun shone the next day but the katabatic wind was still thriving on our walk down to the beach before heading back into town for the usual motorhome chores. We had planned to do the Coal Creek walk to the falls after going north from Greymouth but after finding our way there we found they were closed because of damage to the track so we drove on to Motukiekie Beach and did a long interesting walk along the  conglomerate rocky shore as far as the tide would allow us having timed to go an hour or so before low tide. We had a good chat with a lady collecting rubbish on the beach who owns one of the few old baches lining the escarpment which they use for a holiday house, actually living in Christchurch.

Motukiekie Beach

Motukiekie Beach - lava flow

There was a proper sandfly industry happening around where Heidi was parked and they took no time to make themselves at home. Thankfully Good-bye Sandfly lived up to it's name and they didn't really bother us on the walk. We spent the night at the McMillan Rd freedom camping spot, by the beach with 3 other vans, just south of the world famous Punakaiki Pancake Rocks which was our destination in the morning, the 30 million years old layered and compressed limestone formations always a must see from the well-formed path winding through the rocky blowhole area. 

The "pancakes"

A careful descent

This time we were pleased to be there at high tide which accentuated the sound of the very loud and constant booming of the forceful waves. Since we were last there a very impressive, huge building, the Paparoa National Park Visitor Centre, has been built and all I can say is 'wow'. I imagine they're kept very busy in summer with all the outdoor attractions in the area. After a coffee and shared scone at the Cafe we once again walked the 2 hour return track along the Pororari River which took us as far as the swing bridge. If there's a next time we'll probably only do the 20 minute walk to the viewpoint which is the most interesting part of the walk and also where we heard the most birds - not a lot but there were weka of course, bellbirds, fantails and tomtits. The day was again sunny though a little cool in the shade. 

Beach at end of Truman's track

Wash those "dreads"

The Truman track down to the beach which is described as a half hour return walk but takes us longer with spending time on the stony shore looking at the fossilised shells in the mudstone and enjoying the ambience created by the Nikau Palms. Overall it was a busy day and we were pleased to settle in at the Fox River freedom camping spot, right by the river, from where we crossed the road to sit on the beach and watch the beautiful sun setting behind the sea.

We were looking forward to getting our bikes out again and riding the Kawatiri Coastal Trail from the Charleston end the next day. It described as a family friendly grade 2 cycle track but it was tough going on our tiny bikes in places with stones and slopes. 

A rest before the tricky bit

The parts along the sea and river were fine but once we were on the big hill climb with sharp corners through the trees, which isn't really mentioned in the blurb, I found it very scary as it was hard to keep control. We turned around before we got to the lagoon (wherever that was!) and I was very pleased to be homeward bound and mainly incident free. It took us 3.5 hours but we did have lots of stops. I felt so much better when I talked to a fellow cyclist a couple of days later and she and her husband, (?Sharon, a mid-wife,  & Phil from Cave) on big bikes, had also found it very daunting and slippery with the stones. 

Guess who

Before driving on to the NZMCA Park in Westport we did the little drive down to Constant Bay from Charleston where there is a loop track looking out over the fierce sea. How the early settlers ever brought there sailing boats in there is almost beyond comprehension - they were tough in those days! There were only 4 other vehicles in the camp that night, the next day being cloudy when we walked down to the nearby North Beach before driving back through Westport to remind ourselves of Carters Beach. The Kawatiri Coastal bike trail starts from close to this area but we had lost any enthusiasm to try any more of it although it seemed flat at this end. After a bit of a walk here it was back into Heidi for a night at the quirky Gentle Annie Camp which we loved on our last travels around the South Island and found to be even better still with really nice new spacious shower and toilet blocks and quite a big extension to the park itself. It has a large, very comfortable communal area, and a Cafe open in the mornings. If you want any of their delicious baked products outside of this time you just put money in the honesty box and if there's no-one on duty you just "pick a park" and pay the next day. They totally trust everyone to be honest and we just hope that they are. 

Stylish new facilities

After a walk along the beach the next morning we sadly watched the AB's lose against Argentina before taking to the road again to find the Karamea Hotel where you can pay a small fee in lieu of parking in the large area out the back. We needed to be here to do the guided walk into the Honeycomb Cave the next day. There was only one other vehicle there -  a guy from Cromwell. We had a walk down to the river and then had dinner in the Pub - yummy whitebait for me even though they would have been frozen presumably as it's only the 24th August and the whitebait season doesn't start until the 1st September. Len also enjoyed his blue cod and chips. Ed, being a little inebriated, was the icebreaker of the night, being interested in where we were from and our travels and soon we were amongst the friendly locals especially the ex-navy couple who live over the road.

Monday 25th August was such an amazing day as we had a guided tour to the Honeycomb Hill Cave and Arches in the Oparama Basin with our guide, Paul, picking us up from Heidi in the morning. You need a guide to go into the cave which is 13.5 km long and is characterised by complex and extensive underground passages  You can't take a motorhome up the narrow, gravel road that leads to the Cave and Arches so we parted with $200 each for the trip which included lunch and it was well worth it. 

Beautiful bush on the way to the caves

The visit to the Cave, which we were probably in for a couple of hours, was accessed by walking through the luxuriant rainforest, and it was one of the best things I have ever done in my life. The cave was discovered in 1976 and contains vast limestone formations and holds the largest collection of subfossil bird bones ever found in NZ including remains of extinct moa and Haast's eagle. 

Exploring the underworld

Moa bones

Tannin rich water

All the beautiful rich colours in the cave and the water within were breathtaking and of course there were glowworms to see when we switched our headlamps off. You could say it was a true Tolkienesque world. After exploring the cave we walked through the bush to one of the arches, the guide choosing the impressive limestone Moria Gate Arch which, like the others, has been etched by water and time.  The streams throughout the lush forested valley are stained by forest tannins which blend with the blues and greens in the water.

Moria Gate Arch from the outside

... and from the inside

What a fantastic day! And, not in the mood for cooking afterwards, we bought fish and chips from the hotel for dinner that night.

The following day we played golf on the Karamea Course where we have "played and stayed" before, the course looking rather different this time on the sea side where the sea has been encroaching onto the course. They have had to built a huge sandbank to keep the course from being flooded from the rising sea levels. There were only 3 other players to be seen on the course apart from the green/course keeper. Even though it was August the day was sunny and warm and it wasn't long before I had to strip down to my T shirt. We stayed the night there and were treated to a very beautiful sunset out over the sea as well as the sound of the surf through the night. Then it was back to Gentle Annie's Camp for a couple of nights before the promised rain set in with me having another little turn at the steering wheel from the course as far as Little Wanganui. 

Lake Hanlon reflections

On the way back we walked to Lake Hanlon, as we had also done several years ago. I had forgotten that the trip in goes up and up and up and I needed a few stops but it did make for an easy return walk - about 30 mins of walking time in total but the walk in was much the slowest. Last time it was a cloudy day so we hadn't seen the beautiful reflections that we could admire in the lake this time.

The expected rain arrived in full force the next day along with winds up to 45km/h. After doing the washing I hunkered down to read in the large, but cosy Cafe/Lounge area called The Cowshed on a comfortable sofa with the fire going. I was the only one there and there were probably only about 4 vans on site in total. The heavy rain and wind continued through the night being accompanied by thunder and lightening. It continued to rain most of the morning but I found a window when it ceased to walk to the quirky, roomy roofless showers again. I was actually hoping that the rain would start again while I was in the shower, just for the experience, but it didn't happen. The area for dressing is covered so your clothes would never get wet. For lunch we succumbed to a delicious venison and cheese pie from the Cafe before moving back down to Westport. I was hoping to get my woolly hair cut at the little "walk-in" shed outside Fresh Choice as I had had a good cut there 6 years ago but there was only a barber there, the ladies cutter not returning until Monday.  It was more than 10 weeks since my last cut but I had to continue to wait as all the other hairdressers in town were busy and not able to take walk-ins.

We had another night at the Westport NZMCA Camp along with 3 other vans before driving on to the NZMCA Park in Murchison in the sunshine for the next couple of nights. A great drive through isolated Buller Gorge following the Buller River which has the highest flow in NZ and pretty wide as it gets closer to the sea. At Inangahua the road branches off to the left to take you away from the Lewis Pass to Christchurch. On the journey I was reflecting on the many things we had experienced on the West Coast and one of the things that stands out to me was how the people seemed to be much more relaxed there, something I especially noticed in the supermarkets where no-one seemed to be in a rush. They were so mindful of not being in anyone's way, stood aside, let you through and apologised at the slightest thing. It was me that felt like I was getting in everyone's way without knowing where anything was in strange supermarkets and constantly having to rejuvenate my phone to see my list! It just felt different from shopping in other places. 

One of the other things that stood out to me on the Coast was the widespread poverty depicted in much of the housing - so many absolute shacks that look like they're falling down but may have smoke coming out the chimney so you know that someone is living inside. The percentage of healthy homes up and down the coast must be quite a small number I think - a pretty sad situation for many. Plus so much farmyard and machinery junk lying around some of these houses. The area really depicts the poverty gap in this country and who has the answer? 

Clock & Rock

On the way we passed by Uranium Point where, years ago, they found Uranium but not enough to be commercially viable. We also spotted several different varieties of wild goats coming through the gorge, some on the roadside and some behind fences, before stopping for morning tea in a picnic area beside the Brunner River where there was a rock commemorating Thomas Brunner who passed through that area with 4 Maori in 1847 on a journey from Nelson to Paringa and back which took 550 days. There's also a replica grandfather clock a few paces away which had no information to say what it was for but we have since found that it was put there in memory of the time that the Inangahua Earthquake struck.

Yet another cheeky weka

We've concluded that there are 3 types of wekas in NZ - the true bush weka which are very agile and slim, the campground weka which are rather slow, fat and populous, and the picnic spot weka which are more-or-less in between the other 2 varieties!

Not long after leaving the picnic area we were farewelled from the Buller District and welcomed into Tasman. You arrive at the longest swing bridge in NZ after crossing a couple of rivers but they are doing repairs on it at present so it's not currently open to the Public. On arriving at the NZMCA camp in Murchison we found a working bee of volunteers just winding down after a busy weekend pruning all the trees and vegetation around the site. They have done a great job with truckloads of green waste being taken off site. 

One or two rusty old things

We strolled down the road to the quirky, comfortable River Cafe for a nice quiche lunch. It rained again during the night and we were woken a couple of times early in the morning by the crowing of the nearby rooster. The rain continued lightly until about mid-afternoon when we walked down the road to look at the Matakitaki River, then back up the road to the little Ned's Creek with just one big eel sleeping in it that day, before walking around the little town and buying 2 little cakes from Beechwoods Cafe after which the sun came out. In the morning we were once again woken by the rooster.

Interesting note: After analysing our gas consumption over the last few months we can conclude that a 9kg bottle lasts about 20 days (summer), 10 days (autumn) and only 5 days (winter).