February 13
Moana to Hokitika
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The morning wasn’t as wet as last night but it was just as dull. I had a leisurely breakfast, checked out of the motel and drove round the lake. The views were limited and the clouds hung very low. The shafts of light created a few interesting effects but these proved elusive when I tried to photograph them. There were several native birds in evidence – weka, kereru and hawks - but they all fled before I could point the camera at them. The road follows the railway around the lake until both of them strike out towards the East Coast via the precipitous pass over the Alps. I turned towards the West Coast and followed the Taramakau River valley to Kumara and the main coast road. |
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Kumara was the birthplace of Richard Seddon, Prime Minister of NZ at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. There is a small plaque outside the ruins of his house.
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The Arahura road rail bridge has a multiplicity of signs, some of which had me very confused. When I was here last year, I was told that the line might soon be closing. I must check this out when I reach Hokitika.The motel was ready and waiting when I arrived. I have stayed there before and while it is on the expensive side, it is very comfortable. |
As I spent very little last night, I can afford to be extravagant tonight. I walked into town and a camera shop sold me a cloth to clean my filter which hadn’t really recovered from the dose of salt spray that it received on the ferry. I then went to the Café de Paris, the best restaurant on the West Coast, where I had a coffee on the pavement and reserved a table for the evening.Right: Cafe de Paris, Hokitika |
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As soon as I left the coast, the cloud re-gathered and a very light drizzle started to fall. I passed through Kokatahi, home to the famous band of octogenarians which play at festivals all over the country, and headed further inland. The road became narrower and narrower, it lost its seal and plunged into a forest.
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I eventually spotted Lake Kaniere on the left and then found a pair of parking places. To the right were the Dorothy Falls. Only a hundred metres off the road, they were quite magnificent. I scrambled onto some rocks on the side of the river, erected my tripod and took lots of photos. On the other side of the road, a rather wet path lead to the side of the lake. The walk took about 5 minutes and passed through some dense re-generating forest. |
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The sun had appeared and the light filtered through the canopy. I took lots
more photos and eventually returned to the car.
The narrow road eventually widened as it reached the settlement of Hans, where a small resort is developing by the lake.
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On the outskirts of Kaniere village, I stopped suddenly when I saw several Belted Galloways in a field. These cows were a great favourite of my Mother’s and I have a large china one at home. I took lots of photos, of no great artistic merit but considerable personal interest.
Back in Hokitika it was hot and sunny. I started trying to find a bed for tomorrow and drew lots of blanks. The lady in the motel office suggested most of the places that I had already thought of. I then remembered one that I had driven past a number of times, rang it and found a bed.
Having failed to manage a decent walk in the bush, I set off along the beach and did the 2 kilometres to the mouth of the river. It is a typical West Coast beach, with some huge logs washed ashore and vast expanses of golden sand. The river mouth has a substantial bar and some major currents were in evidence. This has a watch tower and a board gleefully describing the numerous ship wrecks which have occurred on the bar at the river mouth. |
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In 1866, over 43% of all the immigrants to NZ entered via Hokitika. In the same year, there was a major wreck every 10 weeks. It is no great surprise that Hokitika failed to become a major port! There is even a giant wheelbarrow - but nothing to explain its significance.
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I walked back into town along a newish looking footpath, which follows the bank of the river. This brought me out near the old town hall, now up for let, and with a statue of Seddon outside. I passed by the famous clock tower again and returned to the motel for a rest. In the evening, I walked back into town for my meal at the Café de Paris. It is just as well that I had made a reservation as it was very busy. There was a pianist in the back room playing a mixture of old (Gershwin) and new (Mike Oldfield), all in a boogie woogie style. The meal was good but not perfect – the venison was very slightly over done – but I enjoyed it and walked back home to bed. |
| Next Day |