today we get an early start in hopes of driving into sunshine….our goal is to make Hokitika, about 400km away…..we hit some pockets of brightness but as we get to the coast, the overcast and rain persist and we decide to press on…..we stop at the Punakaiki pancake rocks which are amazing to see then we head down to the glaciers at Franz Josef and catch a glimpse of them through the clouds but the rain persists and the forecast is for several more days of the same…..we drive another 150km to Haast and stop because the road through the Haast Pass has closed for the day….we take a couple of rooms at a local motel then head to the only open restaurant for some dinner and meet a couple of girls from Christchurch with a broken down car…..they know the area well and assure us that there is sunshine on the other side of the mountains…..the rain and wind pound our motel pretty hard through the night…..sunshine seems to be pretty far away at this point……but the bed is warm and comfortable….
this little character is the size of a chicken and sat by our tent all morning while we packed to leave...y'all come back now ya hear!
this is our first west coast view after we have cleared the northern pass.....a sign of things to come...
the beaches are more rugged and pounded by waves.....
pancake rocks.....very cool.....
are you trying to put a face to the rock??
we love pancakes!!!
this Maori lady was deeply moved by the experience of being here.....
more lovely little wildflowers.....
a warning for those lucky enough to get through the gate........
Haast is a small town and suffers from an acute labor shortage so the ladies were kind enough to help out.......
looks like Lambie has fulfilled yet another lifetime ambition - keeping that road closed sign clean is not just a responsibility, it's a privilege!!
this little character is the size of a chicken and sat by our tent all morning while we packed to leave...y'all come back now ya hear!
this is our first west coast view after we have cleared the northern pass.....a sign of things to come...
the beaches are more rugged and pounded by waves.....
pancake rocks.....very cool.....
are you trying to put a face to the rock??
a warning for those lucky enough to get through the gate........
Haast is a small town and suffers from an acute labor shortage so the ladies were kind enough to help out.......
looks like Lambie has fulfilled yet another lifetime ambition - keeping that road closed sign clean is not just a responsibility, it's a privilege!!
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