New Zealand 2017 - Day 15: rivers, beaches (The Great Coast Road)

Thursday, March 2 - Up early for a long drive down the west coast of the South Island, hoping to see some cool beaches:


A beautiful drive as we made our way down through the interior of the South Island:



Nice drive up thru the valley.
It’s nice not having to make a ferry.

It is a wonderful drive along the Buller River:



It really is a 3D country

AND THEN WE GOT TO THE TASMAN SEA:


(same beach, looking south-then-north.)

This is Woodpecker Bay:



We are driving down The Great Coast Road. To quote New Zealand pr:
"The Great Coast Road is one of the Top 10 Coastal Drives in the world according to Lonely Planet and we just use it for our everyday travel! It takes you alongside the ancient limestone cliffs of Paparoa National Park and is home to the world's smallest penguin. Along the way, experience underground rafting at Charleston, caving at Fox River and you won't want to miss the famous Pancake Rocks and Blowholes at Punakaiki. The Great Coast Road (which takes 90 minutes at a full speed, we recommend you slow down and enjoy it) traverses Charleston, Fox River, Punakaiki, Barrytown, Rapahoe and Runanga on its way from Westport to Greymouth."

Because Platt and Nancy are outfitting a van, Wendy talked with a woman about "her van":


Pancake Rocks is a very cool place on a nice warm day:


Good to see "No Drones Allowed":


Wonderful walk among the ROCKS and SURF:







Is this sign really necessary??

fyi That is CRASHING KILLER SURF AGAINST SHARP ROCKS!!

Continuing down THE ROAD:



Until we got to Cobden (NZ Surf Guide)



Then we went just south across the Grey River (through the city of Greymouth) to Blaketown (NZ Surf Guide). The waves were pretty cool, but the beach was pebbles/rocks.

no swimming today!

On down the road:

until we got to Franz Josef Glacier Village

The view from our dinner table


A long day, but THANK YOU GOD for these wonderful adventures in these Beautiful Places!!

Music today - music from my purple nano:

Warren Zevon - I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, 1996 (2 cd anthology)

44 songs by Warren Zevon!

Jackson Browne - The Naked Ride Home, 2002

Lyrics: "The Naked Ride Home" song:
My eyes on the road, she slid herself down in the seat
And a vision of paradise swung into view.

Jackson Browne - Lawyers In Love, 1983


James Taylor - Sweet Baby James, 1970

Though the Berkshires seemed dreamlike
on account of that frosting
with ten miles behind me
and ten thousand more to go.

Livingston Taylor - Life Is Good, 1989