Bella Vista Motel Hokitika

... retreated as there was not much evidence of any other campers. However the office was open and I had my pick of spots – the facilities were a bit over the top in niceness when you just really need somewhere clean and tidy. However variety is indeed the spice of life and at my next stop I was also one of a kind in that I was the only tourist – all the others looked ( and dressed) like permanent trailer park residents ( sound of banjos in distance) – but ...

... to take a few before we fled back to the safety of the car... We then returned to town to have a look in the greenstone shops and managed to find a nice greenstone pendant for Martijn. Look for it in future pictures (although it might be inside his t-shirt :P). We also found a small shop selling stones with little kiwi silhouettes painted on them, and we ended up buying one to take home (finally, a souvenir that is for US and isn't soft and fluffy :D).

... frisbee with 2 fellow travellers. As the hostel was isolated we had our dinner cooked by the bus drivers and Les. Les was an 83 year old man who owned and still actively ran the hostel. Ben enjoyed the Bambi stew (venison) and I had yummy quiche. The party was fun and we were really impressed with the costumes. Our favourites were carrots and cat woman!

... The rest of the afternoon took us past the most photographed stretch of road in New Zealand, being a granite rock overhanging a single track road - for about 50 meters. As the gorge opened up there were similarly spectacular views! The afternoon seemed to slip past and before we knew it, it was early evening as we arrived in Westport. A quick shop and information stop later, we headed to Cape Foulwind - so named by Captain Cook for the foul weather he arrived ...

... climate in this country and you really do have to be prepared for all eventualities. NZ Train Experience The next day we went across to Greymouth on the Trans-Alpine train, over Arthur's Pass. PHOTO_ID_L=arthurxs-pass.jpg]A great way to spend the day - 4/5 hrs each way with a an amusing and informative commentary and a reasonable buffet where as well as a good cup of coffee and a bite to eat you can enjoy ...

... US Pacific Coast Highway between San Francisco and LA and places such as Big Sur. We stopped at a major attraction known as the Pancake Rocks. The name taken from their pan cake like appearance - a result of batterings from the sea over the years against the limestone rock. You can see more clearly on the pictures. This was another good walk, but it chucked it down with rain about 5 minutes before the end and myself and Lisa were soaked. We ...

... We have good views of the glacier spilling down the mountain from further back. Back to Fox for a walk round Matheson Lake, just outside town followed by an excellent lunch at the Matheson Cafe sitting out on the sunny deck. The cloud is gradually lifting but still covers the peaks. We go heli-hiking, which means that a company takes my credit card and extracts a large sum from it. We then get into a helicopter and are flown ...

... opportunities that we couldn't resist, perhaps the most notable being Castle Hill. As well as crossing the northern part of Canterbury Plain, we went over the Porters Pass and through some high-level valleys before finally arriving at Arthur's. Although it was a bit on the late side, a combination of weather forecast, snow conditions and local advice made us decide to go for Avalanche Peak. The ...

We took the train from Christchurc to greymouth. It was amazing. The views you get along the way are amazing! You go through valleys up mountains and along the banks of rivers. It is winter here now so most of the mountains are covered with snow! It was beautiful! There is nothin to do in greymouth. It is tiny little villeage. We did the only thing we knew how to do....Drink. We took a tour ...

... the walk to the face, maintaining a discreet distance as large ice blocks crash down at regular intervals, bob into the river and thump their way downstream. The access valley has cathedral-like steep walls and rainforest looms above the ice; very odd.<br><br>We also enjoyed evening kea displays, as these naughty parrots try to pull nails out of roofs, chew at possessions and lollop around. Andy even had to chase a group out of ...