NELSON TO PUNAKIKI
LUSH HUGE MOUNTAINS TO PANCAKE ROCK FORMATIONS AND AS FAR AS ONE CAN GO TO LOOK OUT AT THE TASMAN SEA AND VIEW THE END OF THE EARTH--ANTARTICA.
This was the longest stretch of driving I will be doing in New Zealand. It is about 300 kilometers on a Blue Ridge Parkway kind of road, with one significant addition—this road is filled with one-lane bridges that pop up around any unsuspecting corner. This ride was pure mountain country and it’s the kind of trip that must start with a full tank of gas as you only get one shot at refueling in a one-horse town called Murchison. If you pick up any piece of travel or tourism literature, you’ll find this town consistently boasts of its fuel capacity as well as having the cleanest public toilets one could hope for on a trans coastal trip. I participated in all their town assets and can confirm Murchison is a town that says what it means and means what is says. The petrol was AMAZING and the restrooms ABSOLUTELY worth the trip. Honestly though, I good PR person could find a few more things to position the town of Murchison beyond gas and toilets. This drive was different than others—these mountains are very big, very special and honestly, take you in. Have you ever been to Zion in Utah? I would compare this experience to the time I biked to and through Zion—you felt as one with the mountains. I’m not going Zen on you—it is just the truth. The mountains in this part of NZ look much different than Zion—more like Zion with compete ground cover—a mixture of evergreen pines and dense tropical trees and ferns.
As I traveled, I had only one goal in mind—to reach the coast with a bit of daylight left…so my competition on this trip was the sinking sun. Daylight savings time ended here on Sunday morning and now, on Sunday night, I was trying to make it to the coast before sunset. I stared it down and bet that I would win—I was going to have to take all one lane bridges on with a vengeance—everyone driving east must, I prayed, yield or as they say here “give-way” to my red Toyota Corolla, nothing less will do. I arrived in Punakiki by 6:15 PM and just a few feet before the registration desk at the “Rocks” hotel the huge clock reported the best viewing time of the Pancake Rocks would be at 7 PM….”YES”! I calmly checked in and then hoofed it the 400 kilometers up hill to the viewing trail and decks. The Pancake formation is a natural phenomenon that is for our viewing pleasure in this lifetime, century or maybe the next millennium. But it’s all in mother natures hands how long they stay. The rocks, the blowholes and the sunset were all incredible.
The next morning I walked along the coast at the Tasman Sea and went near but never in the ocean waters. I was walking and looking out towards the end of the earth and also thinking about everyone back home. How can I be so far away yet not feel like I am really very far at all? It was a cloudy, misty morning and I enjoyed walking the beach and finding special heart shaped rocks for people back home. If I’ve lost my marbles during this trip, at least I have my heart shaped rocks….and of course, my good n plenty.
This was the longest stretch of driving I will be doing in New Zealand. It is about 300 kilometers on a Blue Ridge Parkway kind of road, with one significant addition—this road is filled with one-lane bridges that pop up around any unsuspecting corner. This ride was pure mountain country and it’s the kind of trip that must start with a full tank of gas as you only get one shot at refueling in a one-horse town called Murchison. If you pick up any piece of travel or tourism literature, you’ll find this town consistently boasts of its fuel capacity as well as having the cleanest public toilets one could hope for on a trans coastal trip. I participated in all their town assets and can confirm Murchison is a town that says what it means and means what is says. The petrol was AMAZING and the restrooms ABSOLUTELY worth the trip. Honestly though, I good PR person could find a few more things to position the town of Murchison beyond gas and toilets. This drive was different than others—these mountains are very big, very special and honestly, take you in. Have you ever been to Zion in Utah? I would compare this experience to the time I biked to and through Zion—you felt as one with the mountains. I’m not going Zen on you—it is just the truth. The mountains in this part of NZ look much different than Zion—more like Zion with compete ground cover—a mixture of evergreen pines and dense tropical trees and ferns.
As I traveled, I had only one goal in mind—to reach the coast with a bit of daylight left…so my competition on this trip was the sinking sun. Daylight savings time ended here on Sunday morning and now, on Sunday night, I was trying to make it to the coast before sunset. I stared it down and bet that I would win—I was going to have to take all one lane bridges on with a vengeance—everyone driving east must, I prayed, yield or as they say here “give-way” to my red Toyota Corolla, nothing less will do. I arrived in Punakiki by 6:15 PM and just a few feet before the registration desk at the “Rocks” hotel the huge clock reported the best viewing time of the Pancake Rocks would be at 7 PM….”YES”! I calmly checked in and then hoofed it the 400 kilometers up hill to the viewing trail and decks. The Pancake formation is a natural phenomenon that is for our viewing pleasure in this lifetime, century or maybe the next millennium. But it’s all in mother natures hands how long they stay. The rocks, the blowholes and the sunset were all incredible.
The next morning I walked along the coast at the Tasman Sea and went near but never in the ocean waters. I was walking and looking out towards the end of the earth and also thinking about everyone back home. How can I be so far away yet not feel like I am really very far at all? It was a cloudy, misty morning and I enjoyed walking the beach and finding special heart shaped rocks for people back home. If I’ve lost my marbles during this trip, at least I have my heart shaped rocks….and of course, my good n plenty.
posted by Dedicated to Jean E. @ 7:42 PM
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