Westport to Moana on Lake Brunner, March 20

We departed Westport and proceeded south along the coast making periodic stops at various viewpoints along the way. Cape Foulwind, directly west of Westport, was so named by Captain Cook because of the atrocious weather he encountered when he approached the coast on his voyage of discovery to New Zealand. The location is adjacent to a large seal colony on Tauranga Bay. The ocean waves roared into the land amongst gigantic offshore boulders smashing into rocks and sending spray high into the air. The seals seemed at ease with the thunderous waves while they lolled comfortably perched safely and securely above the water napping. 

Cape Foulwind

The flightless Weka bird; most notably known for its begging skills.

We stopped again at Mitchells Gully Gold Mine; a holdover from the 1860’s when gold was discovered in the area. We toured what was left of the mine, mostly a set of rusted rails running through the undergrowth and into and out of tunnels burrowed throughout the hillsides. There were a few rusted relics of ore rail cars, mining tools, an old forge and a very large paddle wheel device that allowed the water to be propelled through sluice boxes that ran throughout the site. It gave a good impression as to how much work mining was 150 years ago when all the labor was done by hand.

The next stop was Punakaiki at Paparoa National Park where we viewed an interesting and very unusual natural phenomenon called “The Pancake Rocks and Blowholes”. The site featured numerous stacks of sandstone and other minerals that had been formed by nature over millions of years into stratified layers and stood in towering stacks. The rocks themselves have become somewhat of a mystery to geologists; they seem uncertain as to how they developed, they truly are unique.

View along highway near Pancake Rocks National Park

Just offshore from Pancake Rocks National Park

The Pancake Rocks formations

Tom descending stairs at Pancake Rocks National Park

As the ocean roared into the rocks around the bases and through caves below us the water would erupt in powerful geysers through blowholes throwing enormous volumes of water high into the air with a thunderous roar.

The Cavern

The Putai Blowhole

Our journey for the day ended at Aldamere Lodge, a lovely bed and breakfast located on the shore of Iveagh Bay on Lake Kotuko Whakaoho, the original Maori name but renamed in the recent past to become Lake Brunner.