West coast of the South Island

Day 44 - 10/23/23

Labor Day in New Zealand - every year on the 4th Monday in October.

Many shops are closed, but grocery stores, kiosks/cafés/restaurants and gas stations are different.

We drive along the coast to Hokitika in beautiful sunshine and enjoy wonderful landscapes and Adele, The Fray and Pink Floyd.

New Zealanders aren't that good at driving - it's been a while since New Zealand had a Formula 1 world champion. The slower cars are more likely to try to drive into the trunk for kilometers, but they are less likely to dare to overtake on long straights - you could exceed the speed limit at short notice (scary) - whatever, that's not our problem.

The route is very curvy and today - since many people have time off, I notice the huge number of motorcycles and my heart hurts - I long for my Kawa.

We make a stop at the Pancake Rocks, where wonderfully landscaped paths and the sea lapping on the rocks impress.

We see many Asians taking self-absorbed posing photos, quickly throwing themselves at the nearest point of view - like some Germans do with their towel in the hotel - and giving the impression that the new Silk Road also runs through New Zealand.

After almost 6 hours of chilled driving, we arrived in Hokitika and ended the day.