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
Some stunning scenery there Keith and some lovely architecture, a bit different and very interesting. You are a good ambassador for NZ that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteThanks Donnie, glad you enjoyed it - yes, the older architecture in this country is quite a bit different from Fort William or the West Highlands!
DeleteI was going to remark on the interesting architecture as well. Many of the important buildings are somewhat isolated waiting for the rest of the block to be built up around them. Keith, you have become a NZTB Influencer. Lovely scenery.
DeleteThanks Jon and I agree re the relative isolation of the larger buildings. I am unsure whether it's because the citizens expected the town to keep on growing and the empty space to be filled or there used to be other buildings of a similar era that have been demolished and not replaced.
DeleteI've done that drive from Christchurch to Greymouth. It was in summer so probably much easier, but lovely scenery. The problem when you're driving though is that you don't get to take it all in.
ReplyDeleteA fair point Lawrence but we did stop quite frequently on the way over to Greymouth - less on the way back, but I had plenty pix by that time!
DeleteThe scenery is absolutely stunning
ReplyDeleteThanks Scotty, it's a beautiful part of the country...mind you, 90% of New Zealand is pretty photogenic!
DeleteI can see that it's a tough life as a member of the NZTB Volunteers Keith. Glad that you are up to it.
ReplyDeleteThe Hoi Polloi looks like a lovely place for a meal.
The fire station turned into accommodation is also a great way to keep an old building going.
Thank you, Ben, I am glad you appreciate all the effort I go to!
DeleteWe have a pub/restaurant here in Pukekohe that used to be the fire station, too!
I hope you cherish every day in such a beautiful place. What a gorgeous country you live in.
ReplyDeleteThank JBM, it's not too shabby, is it?
DeleteAnother great NZTB post there Keith;). Funny to see that urban Greymouth is the same population as Hanham, where I live, but I imagine a lot less densely built up than round here. A nice mix of architecture too, plus your have your own river Avon too!
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve, the West Coast is pretty sparsely populated....I suspect it's one of those places that had a larger population 100 years ago than it does now.
DeleteThe Avon in Christchurch is a bit of a trickle, compared with it's English namesake.
Some beautiful country Keith and a strange blue tinge to the sky is very grey or black at the moment !
ReplyDeleteCheers Matt, that blue tinge is a common phenomenon here, but I do remember it was quite a shock when I first saw it 38 years ago....+
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