Greymouth Feb-04

We are snug as a bug here in Greymouth after a great day’s tour through Arthur’s Pass. The road east of Arthur’s Pass was flatlands with alpaca, llama, vineyards and sheep! Plenty of road work; one person working while the rest enjoyed coffee! One-lane bridges still the preferred with a new twist; vehicles & trains shared the same bridge! A warning sign advised the train had right of way; however no mention of what you should do if you met a train coming towards you while you were on the bridge!
The journey through Arthur’s Pass was not as scary as anticipated. When we met a double-trailer truck filled with bales of hay on the turns ahead of us; we took it as an indication the switch-backs would not be so severe! NZ has made the effort to help make the journey from east-to-west a safer drive. Scenery was fantastic &the alpine vistas were worth the effort. Glacier blue water in the creeks; trees adorned in a red mantle; the sky a vivid blue and the moon visible over the rugged edge of the mountains. Picture postcard wherever we looked. We saw our first Kea; an alpine parrot native to South NZ. Signs posted warned against feeding or leaving anything that their beaks & claws could pull apart. They sat in trees above our heads while we ate our picnic with loud cries of “keeeaa” giving away their presence. Dull green-grey colour about 3x size of a Dove, plumb looking and rather insignificant until they spread their winds; then the vibrant colours of red, blue and rose of their wing feathers wanted you to feed them so they would fly closer for a better look! But we didn’t for our and their sake!
We made it to Greymouth by 2 and it was 29 C. After a wee rest, Helen & Liz went swimming. Tom and I drove a ½ hour to Hokitika, the only place in NZ where greenstone and Goodletite (which contains ruby, sapphire & tourmaline crystals) are found. Tom gifted me a greenstone (Jade) for my birthday, souvenir of our trip. Success found a unique piece with different shades of stone & carved in Maori tradition. The triple twist – crossover, which represents a bonding of friendship, two lives becoming one for eternity! AHHHHHHHHHHH Shopping done we drove to Sunset Point with a great view of the Tasman Sea, Aoraki /Cook Mountains, Tambo’s shipwreck and to walk on the beach. A wonderful wild beach at high tide with rolling breakers, black sand & pebbles (yes I looked for fossilized pebbles and pounamu-jade). Tom can’t believe my fascination with beach stones! Beach-combing comes naturally; what can I say!
Tomorrow we’ll head north along hwy 6 to Westport; reportedly the best ocean views in NZ. At this point not sure if we will continue to Picton for the weekend or stop in Nelson or Blenheim. We’ll visit I-site in the morning & go from there. Pictures will have to wait until we have a better internet package. We are doing well. Tom is doing an amazing job; staying cool while travelling with 3 women and getting us to our designations safely!