Main Street, Hokitika. A typical Kiwi town in many ways, but with unusually wide roads.
The weary travelers, freshly showered and enjoying a proper dinner of fish, roasted veggies and focaccia from a local bakery.
As it was Friday night, we decided to go out and visit the local art house cinema. The building used to be a big bank and now the main lobby has been set up with a large projector, a little wine and candy bar, and several rows of very comfortable leather counches and chairs to curl up on. We watched a BBC film, a political comedy that was pretty entertaining.***
From Hokitika, our plan was to head east into Arthur's Pass for an overnight hike to a hut in the mountains. Our plans were thwarted, however, by forecasts of snow, avalanches, and 70 mph winds in the area. So we drove straight through Arthur's Pass and from our campground on the other side, we looked back to see this:
The highlight of our drive through the mountains was getting to see a kea in action. The kea, as you'll remember from the Nelson Lakes post, is the alpine parrot that is known for its cheeky behavior. We got to experience that firsthand when we encountered a kea at a scenic lookout and it immediately began tearing at everything robber or plastic on dear Murple. You see him in this picture ripping at the duct tape that holds down our otherwise rattling radio antennae. We did our best to shoo him away, but he didn't seem at all concerned with us.
Very cheeky indeed!
The highlight of our drive through the mountains was getting to see a kea in action. The kea, as you'll remember from the Nelson Lakes post, is the alpine parrot that is known for its cheeky behavior. We got to experience that firsthand when we encountered a kea at a scenic lookout and it immediately began tearing at everything robber or plastic on dear Murple. You see him in this picture ripping at the duct tape that holds down our otherwise rattling radio antennae. We did our best to shoo him away, but he didn't seem at all concerned with us.
Very cheeky indeed!The winds were so fierce that night that it was the first and only time that Brett decided to forgo his usual sleeping arrangements and sleep in the van with us.
Journaling in comfort
It is worth mentioning Brett's usual camping situation, as it was quite original. He brought a hammock-tent that is strung between two trees, and according to him is comfortable and warm. Here it is at a lake on the west coast:
Journaling in comfortIt is worth mentioning Brett's usual camping situation, as it was quite original. He brought a hammock-tent that is strung between two trees, and according to him is comfortable and warm. Here it is at a lake on the west coast:
***
We stopped a couple of places in the Canterbury plains west of Christchurch that are now famous for being used in the Narnia films.
Louisa, on a very windy day
Massive limestone boulders covered this hillside
Everytime I look at one of your posts lately, all I can think to say is, "Oh wow!!" So again, oh wow, that looks so incredible. Beautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteThat hammock-tent looks like a sting ray...
ReplyDelete