The west coast

My plan was to head down the west coast starting in Nelson, stopping in Greymouth for a night's rest, and then continuing on to the glaciers further south. This is a common loop made by most visitors to New Zealand, so although my bus wasn't a 'tour bus' per se, there were many backpackers and other travelers along for the ride, and the bus drivers often play 'tour guide' as we go.

Highway 6 follows the Tasman Sea for much of the way down, and the views are breathtaking. It's propbably the most beautiful drive I've ever experienced in my life. (A disclaimer: please forgive me for the onslaught of scenic photos that will appear in this and the following posts! New Zealand's south island feels like a postcard, and everywhere I look, there is something worthy of being captured in a photograph. However, photos can't really do justice to a place, but hopefully they'll give you a little idea of what it's like to experience this piece of God's creation!)

A typical view from the bus, along Highway 6.

Just looking out my bus window, no biggie.

As we passed through the tiny town of Punakaiki, we stopped for a few minutes at Pancake Rocks. These are limestone formations layered like, you guessed it, pancakes, due to immense water pressure.

After arriving in Greymouth, I checked into my funky cool hostel. I don't have my own pics, but take a look at their website here to see what I experienced. The hostel rents out bikes for free, so I grabbed one and headed about thirty minutes outside town to Pt. Elizabeth, a hilly trail along a small peninsula.



On the way down, a lovely view of the Greymouth coastline.

After my little hike, I rode down to the beach and just enjoyed some quiet. That was the first time I was alone, not a soul in sight, in three months. It was perfect.