27/03/2018 - Already dripping into the car?

First, things don't always go as planned. Should we stay or keep going? Hope for better weather or give up? Visit an AirBnb? - We would have loved to stay longer at the glaciers, but the continuous rain and the slim, almost hopeless chance of dry days were the reasons for us to move on. Our journey took us north and after a short time, the massive layer of clouds gradually cleared. The route ran right through the rainforest. Misty clouds rose up next to us, creating an eerie atmosphere. Once again, the stretch of road was filled with potholes and heavy bumps. We tried to stay on track. But eventually, we overcame the most difficult curves. After a few meters of elevation, going up and down, we reached the sea. From here, the weather improved increasingly - as did our mood.
We made our first major stop at the "Mananui Bush Walk". The short hiking trail leads through a small "enchanted" forest and finally ends at the rocky beach. Besides us, nobody was there. We enjoyed strolling along the beach in shorts and t-shirts. (The climate in New Zealand is crazy...)
Through an online portal, we found out that you can find "Greenstone" at this beach.

The rare, green stones, also known as "Jade", are sold in many jewelry stores here in New Zealand. For the Maori people, the stones have a spiritual meaning. They are polished and often worn as a necklace. There are different shapes, each carrying a special significance.

For us, it was clear that we wanted to find such a stone ourselves and not buy it in any store! However, after an hour of searching, we slowly gave up hope. We found some beautiful, extraordinary stones - but there was no Greenstone among them.
We continued our journey and stopped in the next big city, "Hokitika". The place calls itself "Jade Country". Therefore, it is not surprising that half of all shops sell these precious stones.
Right at the beginning, we visited a landmark of the city. On the beach, a local artist built the city name out of driftwood. (The sign is regularly destroyed during storms and rebuilt.) Afterwards, we went shopping for the next few days and checked in at the campsite for the next two nights.
In the evening, we enjoyed one of the famous sunsets on the West Coast. As twilight progressed and night began, we packed our camera and tripod and went out again. This time, we photographed a slightly different night sky. Not far from the campsite, there are high stone walls at the edge of a forest, with glowworms hanging from them. After just five minutes' walk, we saw the natural spectacle. Countless mosquito larvae were glowing on the walls. We set up our equipment and tried to capture what we saw with pictures. Although we've seen the glowing worms many times before, it's always enchanting.

The next morning, we were awakened somewhat rudely. Above us, the world seemed to want to end. The raindrops pounded on our car roof. Fortunately, there was a library in Hokitika where we could take refuge. As soon as we reached it, the shower outside started to intensify. Strong winds blasted the rain against the window pane. The people outside were trying to shield themselves from the wind and rain. It was getting really uncomfortable.
After uploading a new blog, we quickly ran to the car. When we opened the passenger door, we were surprised to find it wet. Did we accidentally leave the windows open? To our horror, we discovered that a seal on the windshield was leaking. We suspected that this allowed moisture to seep into the car and drip from the ceiling. - Luckily, it only rained for the rest of the afternoon and the water stain kept getting bigger and bigger...
For dinner, we needed comfort food. A serving of fish & chips with an extra portion of kumara chips on the beach - the food and the view were definitely worth it.