Gepubliceerd: 22.04.2018
There were hardly any clouds in the sky and we were looking forward to exploring the region around "Hokitika". We started with a trip to the "Hokitika Gorge". The gorge is located just outside the city and is highly recommended in many travel guides. During the 30-minute drive through the middle of nowhere, high expectations developed. When we arrived at the parking lot, we were immediately attacked by countless "sandflies" (= New Zealand mosquitoes)! Fortunately, we were able to quickly apply mosquito spray, which provided us with some protection. We started the 15-minute hike through the gorge. This trail is designed for many tourists and is therefore very well developed. After a short time, we reached the first viewpoint, from where we had a beautiful view of the gorge. A little later we crossed a suspension bridge and shortly thereafter reached the riverbank and thus the end of the trail. The river can have a beautiful turquoise color, but due to days of rain, we saw a dull gray. Therefore, we only stayed there as long as necessary - especially since the effect of the mosquito spray slowly wore off and attracted the little biting mosquitoes.
When we returned to the car, we drove back to Hokitika. Because next, we were headed to the beach. However, not to relax. Because right there, not far from a river mouth, the rare "Greenstone" is said to be found! Since our last search mission was not very successful, we wanted to try our luck here again. However, we were not alone. Ten more locals were also searching for the big find. A woman lost her cell phone in the sand. We were just able to pick it up before the waves would have swallowed it. Another man caught our attention from the beginning. He seemed to be approaching the search in a somewhat professional manner. Again and again we heard and saw him smashing the stones and seemingly inspecting the quality on the spot?! We politely asked him how he could decide so quickly what is a special stone and what is not. "Years of experience." He didn't hesitate for long and pulled a huge polished Greenstone out of his pocket. He told us that he found it exactly at this beach five days ago. Wow! Our eyes began to shine. We were filled with new ambition. At the end of the search, we had about 15 stones together. Did the big find include? At least a few of them showed a slight greenish glow.
After the search, we continued our journey. We left the small coastal town and drove north. On the way, we wanted to immerse ourselves deeper into the bush and go on smaller hikes. The first one started promising. We were greeted by two very curious "wekas" (= New Zealand flightless bird). They promptly ran towards us. But as quickly as they came, they went away again. We started the circular hike to an old Chinese gold miner settlement. The adventurous trail first led up a creek and then abruptly ended in front of a fallen tree. From there, we could no longer continue. The path was completely blocked, so we were forced to turn around.
This was followed by a visit to the "Tunnel Terrace Walk". This hiking trail begins with a passage through a mystical tunnel. On the other side of the tunnel, the path turned out to be a true insider tip! With every step, the vegetation changed. All around, the most diverse shades of green met. The bird world gave us a concert like we had rarely heard before. Stone steps allowed us to climb the hills and wooden walkways allowed us to cross the open, strawy areas. Just great. :)
After this wonderful visit, nothing stood in the way of the onward journey. After about an hour, we reached the "heart of the West Coast": Greymouth.
After shopping at the supermarket, we went to the hardware store. There we got some sandpaper...
To end the day, we checked in at the campsite and fell asleep to the sound of the sea in the background.