B.

West Coast Road Trip

Behind the scenes

Survival skills for the new Christchurch: one of these is getting out more. 

I'm thinking about the trip that I took to the West Coast just over a year ago, in the rather lovely company of my then nine-year-old son. We stayed our first night at Arthur's Pass where we had our first taste of sandflies, or they of us, and took the steep walk up the Devil's Punchbowl Falls in the company of ghosts. Or at least, that's what we called them – tourists in disposable plastic rain-covers shimmered and swished all the way to the top. We admired the falls but also their Maori name, laid out on a sign (Te Tautea o Hinekakai - more poetic by far) as well as scraps of bird song on the way down. My attempts at mimicking a bellbird brought out a few curious winged watchers who probably didn't understand any of it.

The next day we dropped in for lunch at Harihari with my cousin and his wife - dairy farmers with no shortage of lush grass for their modest herd - enjoying warm company and hospitality before heading on our way towards one of our main destinations - Okarito. We enjoyed the spectacular kahikatea forests that line the route - and found our booked accommodation in the tiny lagoon-side settlement without too much trouble at all.

A (recommended) double kayak trip out on the lagoon next morning gave us more spectacular, untouched forest and birdlife to appreciate. The rain started but didn't stop us much. A kotuku (white heron) surprised us when we surprised it, flying above our heads rapidly and majestically as we neared its hiding place. A rare and memorable sight.

Forest walks and beachcoming at Okarito. Back in the car, more rain, much of it pounding and spectacular. Pounamu shops at Hokitika. Indian food in Greymouth. Pancake rocks, amazing blowholes. A short stop at Reefton with a vow to return. Stunning forests to drive through on the Lewis Pass. A night and a soak at the pools at Hanmer Springs. All of it was good, all of it unbelievably close and easy and doable.

Shortly after I got back, I was compelled to browse through the collection to see how the artistic impressions of numerous artists working in or inspired by this part of the West Coast lined up with my own recent experience. So here's another MY GALLERY set. I've got to say that it brings the trip back for me in a really interesting way, and adds a resonance to it that's difficult to explain.

It also reminds me that it's a good idea to try to get out more.