NEW ZEALAND DEC 20 - PUNAKAIKI TO NELSON

It had been drizzling rain when Charlie and I walked home from the restaurant/cafe/pub last night.  Then about midnight, the skies opened up and it teemed rain.  The rain was so loud we couldn't hear the surf - and we're right next to the beach!  It's rained like that in LA for an hour or so.  This rain storm dumped water on us from midnight and didn't let up until about 7 this morning.  I guess if you're in a rain forest - expect some rain.

Driftwood on Punakaiki resort beach

A local checking puddles by the beach for a snack

We really didn't have much to do this morning.  We were to catch the Intercity bus at 2:10 - the exact time it was supposed to drop us off at the Resort yesterday.  The sea was so wild this morning, I decided I'd go down and take a photo of the waves and some drift wood.  On the way to the beach, I discovered that the hotel had a laundry for guests.  Charlie and I decided we'd take some of our morning time and make sure we had enough clothes to last us until the end of our trip.  Perfect timing.

We sat in the hotel bar area reading until 2.  We walked up the driveway to the roadside and stood there for a bit.  Very odd feeling.  Standing by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere waiting for a bus.  Bus come it did.  The driver went to the Pancake rocks area and we stopped for lunch.  Charlie and I had a sandwich to split.  Then time to go.

A sand fly model in the local cafe near the Pancake Rocks

We drive first to Westport.  It's motto is that it is a hard fuel town.  Read that as a coal city.  For the first time on the South Island, the area was dull, the town was ugly, and I'm glad we weren't planning to stop longer than we did.

A few shops from Westport.  Should Bed Bath and Beyond be worried?

Off to Murchison through Inangahua .  We drove along the Buller river.  The scenery was increasingly beautiful.  We stopped in Murchison which is a lovely area and a beautiful town.

The bus depot at Inangahua

Eventually we reached Nelson.  We got here by 7:45 and eventually got to the Rutherford Hotel.  Ernest Rutherford was born in the area.  He was from Brightlight (about 20 km west of Nelson).  Nelson was one of the original towns founded by Queen Victoria in New Zealand.  The cathedral, although remodeled, is on the original site.  Our hotel is next to it on Trafalgar square.  Our room is beautiful, on a corner.  What a great place to spend three nights.  We went downstairs in the hotel for dinner.  There's a Japanese restaurant here.  We tried a taste-test wine flight.  Two wines from Nelson (a Savignon Blanc and a Pinot Noir) and a Savignon Blanc from Marlborough and a Pinot Noir from Otago.  The Otago won our test hands down.  I quite liked both our Savignon Blancs.  Fun evening.

Three views from our room in Nelson below

Tomorrow we kayak