Today we have been around the Kahurangi National Park which is in the top westerly corner of the South Island. Apparently it is a rather odd place with no roads and very few hiking tracks. Plants from Australia grow there as that is where they land when blown by the westerly wind. There are also things exclusive to New Zealand such as a carnivorous snail that eats earthworms. Yuk.

We drove over to the west coast via a view of the mountains that played the mines of Moria in The Lord of the Rings and many rivers that also looked as if they had a starring roll. Then to Cape Foulwind – named by Cook but says it all really. There is a fur seal colony there.

The west coast is very dramatic with rolling breakers and crumbling cliffs. Stopped at the Pancake Rocks – weird geological formation – then to Hokitika which is where we are now. My room has a sea view but only if I squint sideways so I won’t burden you with a photo.