4Higher aka PestFiver's Admirable Adventures: South island part 3: west coast

here goes a big post i prolly should of split up, oh well, let the adventure continue...
Once we got to Westport, we took a turn to avoid the township and headed for Cape Foulwind:

this was the first part of the country viewed by a European, the Dutch "discoverer"Abel Tasman to whom we owe our country's unfortunate name. we were in for plenty more amazing rugged coastline.

then we went to a spot where the seals frolic: zoomed in

here's the girls at Punakaiki, with the unique pancake rocks.

here's Punakaiki beach at sunset, just by the campgrounds. went for a beach walk that night and saw too many stars including two shooting stars :)

next day, trying on the local fashion (possum furs):

river to the sea

after a regrettable stop in Greymouth (advise would be to avoid), we stopped at a replica goldmining town Shantytown, which had an old steamtrain ride. coolest part was the end of the line:

Josie and Cybie on the old steam tractor/train log moving thing:

Lol @ next photo too. the masons had big lodges all through the goldmining country, no surprise. what is weird is that this lodge, in the replica goldmining town, was still functioning. I took another photo in here which shows some real serious mason business that i will share in the future.

next stop, Hokitika Beach. as there are other people in the photo, you could say this is a pretty crowded part of the coast.

for dinner that night, locally caught in-season delicacy Whitebait! cooked by me in the RV.

we stayed at Franz Joseph township, next day went up to see the glacier. waterfalls on the walk:

me at the Glacier: wow

moving on... this here is a spot called Bruce Bay... about 1km of beach where local hippies and travellers have made driftwood and rock art all the way along. you could spend a day there looking at it all. if you were into that sort of thing.