So we started off this morning to head for the West Coast. We headed out to the gas station and filled up the tank. Everyone in the US is whinging about how expensive gas is, but they really have no clue — $1.35 a litre. Which, there is about 4 litres in a gallon, so you can do the math. After we filled out, we went back to the road to start our journey, and passed right by it. So we flipped a U-turn, and headed back. Well, then we passed it again, and we were cracking up thinking the people at the petrol station were watching us drive back and forth to find this silly road turn-off.
We then got on track and headed for the West Coast. The terrain was really pretty and mountainous. We really were going through Middle Earth. The drive was incredibly easy I thought–but that’s cause we had my ipod blaring and chitchatting the whole way. I ended up driving for part of the way as well. We finally ended up on the West Coast in Hokitika for lunch. We walked around the town to try to find the best place to eat, and ended up at a chinese food buffet. We then looked around for NZ greenstone, as it’s where you’re to buy it because that’s where it is found. Unfortunately, we didn’t really find any greenstone that I wanted, but I did find some good bone carvings and Paua shell items. I got myself a ‘Hook’ necklace with pewter and paua shell which signifies safe journeys across water. I think it’s great.
We then got back into the car to drive onward down the west coast to Wanaka. Our estimated time was 4 hours from Hokitika, but after about 2, we stopped at Fox Glacier for a snack. We walked around the township for a little bit and asked a lady at a shoppe how long it was to Wanaka. 4.5 hours? You must be crazy. Looking at the map, we’d already come half way. So we thought she just didn’t know, but then when she was saying times to other places we had just been on, she was right on. Uh oh!
We got back on the twisty turny road through the mountain passes and made our way (about 4 hours later) to Haast where we had a rip-off expensive dinner of 6 chicken fingers and fries for $34! Guess for the lack of customers they have to make their money somehow.
We then cruised on down to Wanaka where we met up with Chris and his friends and had left overs from their barbecue. It was great food. We then left with Chris to get settled for our time down in Wanaka.