After grabbing the west coast famous Whitebait fritter sandwiches in Hotikita (yumm!), we drove up past Greymouth north towards the most beautiful part of the west coast: Punakaiki. We got a glimpse of what was to come perhaps in Australia with the towers of rock that rose from the ocean floor. We came across a pull-out we thought for sure would yield an overlook of these towering rocks. Rather, it took us to a cemetery in the rainforest. Stubborn for a view, we hiked through the brush and Dave hoisted me on his shoulders. Holding me steady, I was able to take a photo. They should really blow out a trail and some trees so you everyone can see this! (Wow, doesn't that sound American?!)
We reached the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes at the golden hour-- just an hour or so before sunset. The sun at our back made the limestone layers of rock turn gold.
The layers are formed from soft and hard layers of marine and plant sediments smashed together over time. They get their name from the fact that they look like a stack of pancakes. The entire hike through this area yielded one spectacular view after another.
We sure were glad we took the detour from Greymouth to see this as it was one of the highlights of our New Zealand trip.
As we drove back towards Greymouth, the sun began to set. We stopped for a few photos and to walk on the beach together at sunset one last time in NZ.
Our time in New Zealand was coming to an end. We drove the last leg from Greymouth through Arthur's Pass back to Christchurch where we boarded a morning flight to Melbourne.
No comments:
Post a Comment