Just reread my previous post and was reminded I said I would put these up. As I still haven't done anything much in the way of hobby output, here are a pile of pics from the last two days of our S Island trip at the beginning of November
First up was a spectacular 2-hour drive over the Southern Alps
Our drive - you can also see the previous destination of the two previous days - Lake Tekapo in the south and Kaikoura to the northeast
I thought the landscape would appeal to Matt and be somewhat reminiscent of his own Lake District scenery
Some pretty impressive infrastructure along the route
We arrived in Greymouth around 11am and took the opportunity to stretch our legs and have brunch at a local eatery
Greymouth (Māori: Māwhera) is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is 14,600, which accounts for 42% of the West Coast's inhabitants. The Greymouth urban area had an estimated population of 8,610 (June 2025) A large proportion of the district, 65%, is part of the Conservation Estate owned and managed by the Department of Conservation making Greymouth a natural centre for walkers and trampers.
Strongman Mine Memorial
Location: The memorial is located at Rapahoe, just off State Highway 6, a few kilometers north of Greymouth, overlooking the Tasman Sea.
Commemorates: It is a solemn tribute to the 19 men who died in a methane explosion on January 19, 1967. Two of the bodies were never recovered and remain entombed in the sealed-off section of the mine.
Details: The site includes the names of the victims and interpretive signs telling the story of the disaster and the community's resilience. There are also two headstones at the Greymouth cemetery for the two unrecovered miners.
Blowholes form from a mixture of compressed water and air escaping through the caverns below and being forced upwards, creating a huge wall of spray. They are at their best around high tide when there is a south-westerly swell.
Spectacular views, geological oddities, coastal forest, rich birdlife and marine mammals are highlights along this walk.
We travelled south to the small town of Hokitika in the early afternoon
On the return trip, we stopped at Arthurs Pass village to do this short walk
Devil's Punchbowl Track: A short, easy walk to a viewing platform for the 131m waterfall, starting from the village.
A selfie of your intrepid reporter!
Lots of One Lane Bridges on this road - I took a pic of this one as we waited for the oncoming traffic to pass by.
Back in Christchurch, we availed ourselves of a local hostelry's Sunday Special meal!
Our last day was just spent in and around Christchurch itself
Hagley Park and the Avon River
Rose gardens in Hagley Park
A bit of inspiration for my recent 3d fountain!
WE then drove out to the east coast and visited Sumner Beach
Then took a winding road over the head land to Lyttleton
Lyttelton (Māori: Ōhinehou or Riritana) is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō, on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The town is separated from Christchurch by the Port Hills, an eroded remnant of the extinct Banks Peninsula Volcano.
The Port of Lyttelton was historically regarded as the "Gateway to Canterbury" for colonial settlers. It is the South Island's principal goods-transport terminal, handling 34% of exports and 61% of imports by value, and is also a regular destination for cruise ships.
Back in the centre of Christchurch, we revisited this nice watering hole we first discovered a year ago when in town with our Scottish visitors Gavin and Linda
A this ends today's presentation by Tourism New Zealand. We hope you have enjoyed this brief glimpse of the beautiful South Island and if you want to find out more about visiting us, click on the link below
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