On the West Coast

The drive from Murchison, down the Buller Valley Gorge is stunning, but it didn't prepare me for the beauty of the west coast road. This must be one of the most scenic roads in the world. On the one side is the rolling Tasman Sea, on the other the tree clad hills, which gradually give way to vistas of the distant southern
alps.

The road winds a bit in both places, but no one drives particularly fast here. I passed through a few small villages - all with a kind of wild west feel - then through Greymouth, at the mouth of the Grey River. It is the biggest port on the west coast, but that is a relative term.

Overnight I stayed in Hokitika, a very laid back centre for arts and crafts. While it isn't a one street town, it comes close but there it has charm, sitting on the edge of an enormous black sand beach. I ate fish and chips on the sand last night, surrounded by seagulls, greedy for titbits.

This morning I had a curious flashback to another life, because there is a small conference taking place at the Beachfront hotel where I stayed. Today the bar is full of men with laptops, talking business. It is a world I am not sorry to have left.