There was a huge community "Monster Auction/Garage Sale" today to raise money for a “Cat Scan Suite” for their hospital. We had a great time looking at an interesting array of offerings, from furniture, appliances, farm equipment, dishes, and even the kitchen sink. I enjoyed the nice artwork and there were silent auction opportunities for activities. We knew we couldn't buy anything, but it was entertaining. The auctioneer mentioned The Antique...

We started the day with breakfast at the Makarora Cafe. Bob had the "Full Cooked," which consisted of eggs, bacon, sausage, fresh mushrooms, hash browns, and toast. I had a smaller version, but it was just as good.We drove back up Haast Pass a bit to take in the morning view at Cameron Flat and then to hike to the beautiful Blue Pools. The water in the Blue Pools is snowmelt and very cold, amazingly blue and so clear that you can see the bottom of the pools dis...

Happy Valentine's Day from down under. Lake Matheson, 6 km west of Fox Glacier Township, is famous for its reflections, which is due to the dark water. On clear days Mt Cook and Mt Tasman might be in the reflection; we could see parts of the snowy peaks through the fluffy clouds.  Mt Cook (named for the explorer and called Aoraki by the Maori) is NZ’s tallest mountain.   We will see the other side of the mountain near the end of our trip when we vi...

It was drizzling at Jackson's Retreat when we left; guess that’s why it is a rain forest. We were again treated to ferns and tree ferns all along our way as we returned to Greymouth. Hwy 6 took us to Hokitika, which was another gold mining town but is now known for its greenstone, which looks like jade. NZ’s largest gold nugget was found 30 km farther south in Ross – a whopping 99 ounce!Sandflies are plentiful here. Maori legend says the...

We woke to cloud and sprinkles, and though the clouds remained with us all day, we never had rain. Leaving the campground, we crossed Marine Parade Rd to check out the beach. Then we headed south on Hwy 6 following the Tasman Sea coast. From Fox River to Runanga the coast reminded us of Big Sur Country, very rugged with spectacular views.   We stopped at Punakaiki and the Paparoa National Park. In this pretty area are the famous Pancake Rocks and Blowholes....