So here we are in Westport

The weather seems to be falling into a bit of a pattern. Stunningly beautiful mornings followed by wind & rain in the afternoons. Our intentions for Westport are to go all the way to the end of the road past Karamea, which takes you to the start of the Heaphy Track. Then we were going to go up to Denniston & have a look at the mining relics & the coal mine that has been on fire for years. However, one thing I am learning about the South Island is not to be too ambitious about how much ground you can cover in one day. What looks like a snap on the map invariably turns out to have lots of hills & winding roads involved. Such was the case with Karamea. Its very pretty, but after 50 odd kilometers of narrow winding road up hill & down dale, you can get over it. Not that it isn't pretty, its just that you realise that you don't have any option but to return the same way.































You do however eventually reach the end of the road & believe me the trip is worth it. Aside from the scenery, the look on Jude's face was worth more than all the bad road in New Zealand put together.



Anyway, after all that driving & the fact that it was pelting down with rain as only it can on the Coast, we opted for the warmth of our motel unit. It was creeping on towards 4.00 o'clock anyway. Denniston et al can wait for another day. I think you would need a week to explore the area properly anyway..