Pancakes and picnics

Trip Start Feb 11, 2008
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Trip End Jun 30, 2008


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Flag of New Zealand  , South Island,
Monday, May 5, 2008

We took the valley road from Motueka to Murchison, following the river through amazing countryside, sun dappled beech trees, yellow and red leafed sycamores and birch trees, sparking water falls and smallholdings advertising honey and free range eggs for sale. After an hour and a half we climbed higher up the mountainside toward the one street township of Murchison where after one freezing cold night and a stoney cold reception at the local bar we left early to head westward towards Westport on the west coast and followed the southbound highway 6 towards the natural oddity of the pancake rocks at Punakaiki. These naturally occuring limestone towering blocks of rock sit on the cliff edge, where you can walk along a well made path through a labrynthine setting toward a spectacular blowhole. Luckily, we were there when the sea was at high tide with a strong southerly swell as this caused the sea to wash into the caves beneath our feet and blow dramatically in a plume of white surf through the hole at the top of the sea cave. Pretty cool!! Following on, we headed southwards and stopped for a pee break at a little settlement next to a hidden cove where we lunched and took a stroll along the cliff edge watching the huge waves batter the cliffs and rocks below.
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