Week 41 - West Coast

On Monday morning, Birgit and Oliver finally arrived. We met them at the motorhome rental. They had rented a stylish camper with a roof tent. After a 2-hour wait (during which Julian watched the Super Bowl), we finally received the keys and the introduction. The introduction turned out to be useless since the ladies knew nothing about the new vehicle. By this point, we are seasoned campers and endured the superficial briefing without taking much away from it.

Afterward, we went shopping first and then to a campground located about 1 hour north of Christchurch.

On the first proper day, we drove to Kaikoura to walk across the peninsula. We had the best weather, and the baby seals were truly adorable. They played in the natural pools and didn't mind our presence at all.

After an overnight stop in Nelson, we headed to Abel Tasman National Park. We hiked along the coast and enjoyed beautiful views of the coastline and the sea. The national park is known for its tropical forest that stretches to the sea and for the beautiful crystal-clear water.

In the afternoon, we all jumped into the sea; at an outside temperature of 27 degrees, it was wonderfully refreshing.

Due to the weather forecast, we shortened our stay to one night and used the rainy day for traveling to the West Coast to the Pancake Rocks.

From our parking spot, we made several stops the next day. First, we went in the morning to the Pancake Rocks, which are known for their rock layers that look like stacked pancakes.

Next, we headed to the Truman Track, which offers a beautiful view of the coast. In the afternoon, we took a short walk along the Pororari River.

Today, we continued to Hokitika Gorge. This is the most famous gorge in New Zealand and is renowned for its bright blue water. Tonight, we will be staying further south by a lake. Tomorrow marks the first major hike for Birgit and Oliver.