Happy birthday Igi!

Happy birthday Janet!

Greymouth to Hokitika

I was tempting my luck today by planning to do the Hokitika Gorge Walk. It is an undulating 30 minute walk through mature nature forest to a viewpoint overlooking the river and farmland land of the upper Hokitika Valley. Just the right adventure to start the day. On my way there, I took the rainbow over the Tasman Sea to my right as a good sign. Yet the closer I got to Hokitika and then on to the gorge, the darker and wetter it got. Once at the carpark I tried sitting it out. After 30 minutes I gave up and headed for an adventure indoors.

The National Kiwi Centre in Hokitika was ideal for this. It is a wildlife centre with a big freshwater aquarium and features native New Zealand animals, with feedings. I was there right in time for the feeding of the Giant Eels. What impressed me most were the two kiwis I saw in their pretend-night enclosure. Through a glass separator I could watch them feed, dig in the soil, and walk about – only a short arm’s length away from me. When leaving the centre, I passed on the chocolate but gladly took a photo print of one of the kiwis (taking pictures was not allowed in the enclosure).

I strolled into the town Highstreet. Situated between the Tasman Sea and the Southern Alps, Hokitika is known for its stunning natural scenery. While soaking some of that scenery in at the beach, it started raining again, so I took shelter in a warm and cosy café and waited for the rain to lessen before dashing for the car and moving on.

Hokitika to Franz Josef Glacier

My route lead south between said Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea. Because of the low clouds I couldn’t glimpse much of the former, while the latter presented ever-changing dramatic seascapes.