On up the west coast to Hokitika

After our return from our glacier adventure, we hopped aboard the tin chariot and headed North.

Great road, but no signs of life, apart from the mysterious solo cyclists.

All through out road trip we have been puzzled by the number of solo cyclists labouring up endless mountain inclines riding heavily laden bicycles. A bit sad really; not our idea of a great way to spend a holiday!

Eventually, we left the national parks and entered sparse farmland with isolated farmhouses and the ocasional really small town.

Our destination was Hokitika. Once a gold rush town of 30,000 souls and NZ’s second biggest port, With a population of only 2,000, it is still one of the biggest towns on the west coast. It has a proper airport and amazingly wide roads; Imagine suburban streets wide enough to accomodate the A14 with room to spare.

Window shopping; Morna was interested in some of the unique fashion items available in Hokitika…

Hokitika also has a sock machinery museum which offers you the opportunity to knit yourself a pair of socks. For some reason, Morna wasn’t too keen on paying a visit.

Consequently, I’m still short of socks.

Dinner.

Boy, do they know how to dish out the grub in Hokitika.

Morna ordered fish and chips and got four fillets of blue cod and a mountain of chips. I ordered a lamb shank and got two, plus a heap of mash and a lake of gravy.

Unlike Morna, I finished mine!