1st Jan 2011 - A Wander in the Bush and a Superb Coastal Bike Ride
About 30 miles (48kms say) by bike and a few miles walked. We started the New Year by getting going at 10am so we could do a bush walk around the Punakaiki Valley - a limestone gorge similar (from memories of previous hols) to the Gorges du Tarn. Limestone cliffs tower up hundreds of feet. The river itself it pretty cold since I considered swimming but proceeded no further than paddling (my feet went numb). We eventually took a track back to Punakaiki village. In total about 3 hours walking followed by a double scoop ice cream of hokey pokey and honey 'n fig. I phoned my mum and sisters back in the UK to wish them all (for at 1pm NZ time it was midnight UK time) a very happy New Year. Let us hope it's a year of true peace, honesty, love, and perhaps for some of us, books by the heap and a decent level of beer..
We then recovered our bags from the dense bush where we'd hidden them while we walked, and headed for Greymouth. There's wonderful coastal scenery along this route - massive cliffs, big waves, and a fairly quiet road.Eventually reached Greymouth, deliberately arriving before 5pm so we could call in on the brewery tours to check the situation. Of course, today it is sensibly closed for New Year, so we'll have to return tomorrow.Guy's bee stings, he's had three, are slowly recovering. He seems to have bee collecting cycling clothing. Perhaps he needs a bee keepers outfit instead. Fortunately they just have given him a few swollen lumps.We are now in the rather expensive Top 10 Holiday Park - $20 each to pitch a tent - that's about £10 per person - recovering from a great deal of salad.
About 30 miles (48kms say) by bike and a few miles walked. We started the New Year by getting going at 10am so we could do a bush walk around the Punakaiki Valley - a limestone gorge similar (from memories of previous hols) to the Gorges du Tarn. Limestone cliffs tower up hundreds of feet. The river itself it pretty cold since I considered swimming but proceeded no further than paddling (my feet went numb). We eventually took a track back to Punakaiki village. In total about 3 hours walking followed by a double scoop ice cream of hokey pokey and honey 'n fig. I phoned my mum and sisters back in the UK to wish them all (for at 1pm NZ time it was midnight UK time) a very happy New Year. Let us hope it's a year of true peace, honesty, love, and perhaps for some of us, books by the heap and a decent level of beer..
We then recovered our bags from the dense bush where we'd hidden them while we walked, and headed for Greymouth. There's wonderful coastal scenery along this route - massive cliffs, big waves, and a fairly quiet road.Eventually reached Greymouth, deliberately arriving before 5pm so we could call in on the brewery tours to check the situation. Of course, today it is sensibly closed for New Year, so we'll have to return tomorrow.Guy's bee stings, he's had three, are slowly recovering. He seems to have bee collecting cycling clothing. Perhaps he needs a bee keepers outfit instead. Fortunately they just have given him a few swollen lumps.We are now in the rather expensive Top 10 Holiday Park - $20 each to pitch a tent - that's about £10 per person - recovering from a great deal of salad.