Westport to Hokitika

Friday, January 19 Westport to Hokitika

1 Trip Inn

The day begins with gray skies as we explore the old Coal Mining area of Denniston where they mined coal from 1880 to 1967. The remains of the incline that they used to bring the coal down the mountainside are about all that is still evident. Nearby is the old cemetery with graves as far back as 1867. Yes, that coal mining was a dangerous business. We are glad to see the sun as we drive round the Cape Foulwind on the West Coast of the Southern Island here south of Westport. It is a pretty coastline with rocky cliffs and an opportunity to watch seals resting and frolicking in the rocks below. Here in New Zealand, they call their hiking trail a "track". Walking on the tracks through the "bush" allows us to discover new NZ plant life. As the day draws to a close, rain moves in again as we walk anyway on the track to see the unique Pancake Rocks. The rocks along the shoreline appear to have layers stacked on each other in all kinds of interesting shapes. Definitely a place to return to sometime in better weather! Tonight we rest at the Birdsong Hostel in Hokitika. The owners have decorated the hostel with original paintings of local birds.

2 Information Board

3 Denniston Coal Mining

4 Old Cemetery

5 West Coast

6 Coastal Track

7 Coastal Track

8 Seal Watching

9 Signs to Everywhere

9a Flax Plants

9b Pancake Rocks