(Part Three) 21st October 2006 - Reaching Hokitika

Hokitika (Ho-kee-tee-kah) located along the west coast! i gave the famous Pancake rocks of South NZ a miss coz it would mean me going to Greymouth (see map below)...which doesn't make sense since i'm heading south along the west coast.

I've decided to add a map of my trip so that u can see what i mean. I took the red route ( using highway 73) from Christchurch on the east to Hokitika on the east! What a journey!! now you know what i mean by i drove almost non-stop for about 4 to 5 hours. (Neil, the key man in Hokitika, Birdsong said that's about the time it normally takes!..so i made good timing..thank god!)

I drove Christchurch>>Rolleston>>Darfield>>Springfield>>Arthur's Pass>> Otira then made a left turn to Hokitika.

i headed straight for my accomodation that is along the highway, across the road from the seaside coast! I stayed at a BBH BirdSong...this is a nice place. You can check out their webpage on http://www.birdsong.co.nz/ the animals in the website which they put on the hostel beds are REALLY there! it's not just for the photos!

I was put up in a room on the ground level,...rigth next to the front door...which i might as well share now..it was quite 'scary' realising how basic the security is...the front door lock is those simple 'push in buttons' that we use for our home bedroom doors!!!! Nothing else!!

being my first night on the ground level in a foreign land was weird...the windows of my room had no grills..so of course..i kept the window locked and curtains drawn..i guess that's the level of safety they have there...thus a less stressful life..haha...

Anyway, on with the pictures!...here's Neil behind the reception desk...he's running the place with his wife, who is pregnant or just gave birth thus she's home...so i never saw her...coz they live somewhere else..the hostel is like their workplace! =) Neil gave me a tour of the hostel and quick intros to the present occupants!

He knew i was only staying one night so he recommended that i should go for a jaunt at the coast and catch the sunset if possible. it's been cloudy with all the rain so the sunset hasn't been that good lately.

The coast was BREEZY! and truly..it was right across the road..and you know me lah, the exploring type.

Note...the waves are very strong...and the ocean is neverending coz there is no island opposite!! haha...yup...nothing for miles ahead...the sand there was a weird grey...interesting...I have no idea why...it can't be the pollution. so i think it's just rich in minerals?? LOL!

I picked many pebbles on the beach. these pebbles are smooth and VERY VERY flat. I encountered a man picking pails of pebbles and i soon learned he was living next to Birdsong, and uses these pebbles (after decorating them) to make dinner placemats and flower pots! he sells them ..WOW!..he invited me to take a look at the pots outside his home when i went back later...what a nice hobby!

after half an hour i decided to head back to the hostel. the fireplace is upstairs with a great view of the coast and sunset...and there i started meeting and chatting with the people that have been staying there. A british couple, and a group of Israeli teens!