New Zealand Road Trip – Punakaiki Pancake Rocks is our next destination today. This is the mileage we have done today:
13th Jan. Day 13.
KM’s today = 187
KM’s this trip = 1,950
Rain again. We’re getting used to this now….unfortunately.
Checked out by 10am, headed into Nelson town for brekkie and a quick visit to i-Site, which is an info point in most towns for tourists. Found what we wanted to know regarding Punakaiki, which is where we are heading today.
It was a good 3.5 or 4 hour drive away, and to get the best impact of the Blowholes we needed to be there by 14:25, high tide. It was now 10.30, so a quick breakfast on the run, which unfortunately turned in a Big Mac and a Qtr Pounder as it was after 10.30, which is when they stopped serving breakfast.
Didn’t see the McCafe they have over here, selling pastries and croissants!!!
Driving by 11, after a quick fuel stop. The Sat nav with an arrival time of 14:15. We would have made it but for torrential rain in the valleys, making some cars in front of us go at snail’s pace.
New Zealand Road Trip – Punakaiki Pancake Rocks
Arrived at 14:45 to rain (obviously) wind, and some rough seas giving us some good coastline action. Headed back for a quick walk down one of their trails, Truman Walk, then to the hotel for check in.
The hotel in Punakaiki was one of the best we have stayed in.
Chalet style, huge room, decent bathroom and a great view overlooking the ocean. The picture below was taken the next morning, and yes, this is not camera trickery, there is some blue sky there!!!
We popped into the Visitor Centre at Punakaiki to look into the trips etc for tomorrow. Suzanne, even here, managed to do a bit of shopping and buy a new top!!! In the middle of nowhere, a true shopaholic!!
New Zealand Road Trip – Punakaiki Pancake Rocks Dinner
Got changed for dinner, the only place to eat was in the hotel’s restaurant which involved a 10 min walk from our room to the main hotel. Wrapped up in our Kag’s (which are fast becoming the best thing Suzanne packed, thanks to Sarah for her advice), and huddled under an umbrella.
Dinner was good, overlooking the ocean, then back to the room for a good night sleep before our next trek to Franz Josef…. See you soon!!
