Punakaiki to Murchison to Motueka

Well, I've arrived at Maureen's delightful little house in Motueka, and caught up on news of her family. She has just cooked us a lovely tea, and while she is glued to Coronation Street on TV, I am here catching up with two days travel! I stopped last night at Murchison where there really didn't seem to be much in the way of accommodation. However I booked a night in the local "traditional" hotel, $30 for a single room which was very reasonable. Well! I have stayed in better backpackers hostels for less! The place was clean enough, but very basic, all painted out in a pale sludgy greeny brown colour - there must have been a run on that colour 30 years ago, which was probably when it was last decorated. The carpet on my room floor was absolutely threadbare in front of the dressing table. Still, the bed was comfortable and if it hadn't been for these b----y sandfly bites itching like hell during the night I am sure I would have slept really well!

So, back to yesterday morning at Te Nikau. It had persisted down with rain again during the night, which clattered off the tin roof of my cabin, waking me up several times with the heavier bursts! I ate breakfast in the hostel itself and chatted to some Finnish guests - the only ones who seemed disposed to any conversation at all! Strangely quiet guests there that night!

I just had to go back to Pancake Rocks at Dolomite Point, or is it Cape Dolomite? Can't quite remember! The rain had cleared - temporarily as it turned out - so walking round the paths and up and down steps looking into the giant pot holes and marvelling at how the rocks came to look like piled up pancakes, was rather pleasant. The sea was strong, though it was past high tide and the swell must have changed direction because we did get a few small spouts. However you could see the rain coming up the coast, another of the many squalls that I encountered during the day, so it was definitely time to head back to the car. I didn't get far before I stopped again to visit the glass bead maker. Her beads were rather lovely but not really suitable for lace bobbins, but I did buy a few to bring home. We got talking about the lace bobbins and how the beads worked, and I have promised to send her some info when I get home. It struck me just now that there is info on the web, so I should send her the address of the site I have in my list of favourite websites in the left column of this blog. (Actually, I can't get into my emails at Maureen's, folks. As she herself says her system is VERY old! I'll find an internet shop somewhere in the next couple of days. In fact I am not even sure this will be able to be published tonight or not.

I noticed there was a picture of a young blind man with his guide dog beside the counter, and a collecting box. I asked if it was someone she knew and yes, it turned out to be her son, who a few years ago lost his sight in an accident, so that got us talking some more. I told her about my teaching in the blind school in Edinburgh (in a former life)and about Edmund who also lost his sight at a young age, and some of my other friends in the visually impaired hillwalking group I used to go out with, and I think - I hope - that what I said gave her a bit of encouragement for her son.

On again, through squally coastal weather, and stopped to look at the fur seal colony at Cape Foul Wind. The name comes from two ocean currents meeting about there, and to see the power of those waves was extraordinary. The fur seals could only be viewed from the top of a cliff and just looked like a lot of black maggots, only larger! One or two began to move a bit but apart from realising they did have flippers, they still had a very maggoty apearance!

At last the road turned inland and through the Buller Gorge. If it had been lighter and dryer I am sure it would have been a rather stunning part of the journey. The road started to climb up into the Lewis Pass (I think it was all part of the Lewis Pass) and all the time we climbed up and up, round bends one way and hairpin bends another! Then just as it seemed the top had been reached as the road levelled and straightened, it only lasted for a short distance as up and round we went again. It was dark when I reached Murchison which I reckon must lie on a plateau. It's not a big town, though the tourist brochures call it up and coming! I didn't see any backpackers hostels as I said earlier so ended up in the old hotel on the corner! When I walked in first I thought it must be a truckers' hotel - the bar, restaurant and bistro really all being in one big open plan room, and several rowdy men sitting up at the bar watching TV. I nearly changed my mind and left, but didn't, and this morning I found the backpackers hostel right across the road! Oh well! Had a quick trip into the supermarket before I left and was highly amused to hear a young guy ask the assistant "Where are the eggs?" because that's the question most asked in our Co-op.

Today was a short distance to Motueka though I took a detour to look at Lake Rotoroa - not to be confused with Rotorua, whch is in North Island and where I hope to get to before I get back to Auckland. The lake was very pretty, calm and serene especially with a family of two adult black swans and two young cygnets floating across its surface and the lake taxi boat sitting at the wooden pier. Lake Rotoroa Lodge stood near to the water with NZ flags flying, and I think the water taxi would serve the various walking tracks that converged on the lakeside every so often. The hills in the background had a light covering of snow, first of the winter I'd think!

The scenery today had started to open up into fields and open country with deciduous trees and hedgerows that looked decidedly more British! Suddenly the noise of the car scared three pukekos all at once but I didn't have time to stop the car, wind down the window andget my camera ready before they scarpered! They are large birds with long red legs, vivid blue heads, necks and chests, but black on their backs and wings. Along with the Kiwi they are the birds most featured on souvenirs. There are some really comical ones I'd love to bring home but you can't take everything back home!


Another little detour took me along an unsealed road - a rough track - into Pearce Valley. I don't know why I decided to drive along that way, but I found the most gorgeous waterfalls , the Pearce River roaring over limestone rocks through pools and holes worn by the water over centuries.


Then I found I was crossing the Motueka river to follow alongside it for the rest of the way. I found Maureen's pretty easily as it is a continuation of the main street, so I pulled into the drive and turned off the engine! Now I can relax for a couple of days! Maureen was out playing golf as her email explained, but I found the key and let myself into the house. Hey, but the sun was still shining and since I have seen so little of it recently the seat in the garden seemed to be the best place to sit with my book - opened at last - to wait for Maureen's return. So there we are! Me and the Toyota, Mary! Crossing over to North Island on Sunday, so I may leave it till then to blog the next few days. Hoping to meet Carena, a scrapbooker and designer, possibly on Sunday, but before that Maureen and I will have a run out somewhere - and I must explore the High Street too! Quite a busy town centre!
So with that I'll bid you goodnight again.

Talk again soon.