Keith's Globe Trotting Blog: NZ BLOG 8 - THE WILD WEST TOUR

Sunset above Greymouth

Hokitika Gorge

Castle Hill (Elephant Rocks)

Part 1 of 2

SHEFFIELD TO HOKITIKA

The experience of the Alps 2 Ocean bike trail, gave me itchy feet to venture yet again as soon as possible, and to new territory. So after a quality daughter day with Becky in Dunedin (and finally walking the amazing street art), I set off to the unappealingly named Greymouth (430km), the largest dwelling on the west coast.

Armed of course with suggestions from Hamish….the plan: 3 sets of two nights from Greymouth, all the way to Wanaka….a rather sizeable road trip (455km) together with bike and walking boots, with a mixture of accommodation….AirBnB, backpackers and a tent! 😉

SHEFFIELD!

Firstly, though I had to venture across the mountain spine of NZ via Arthur’s Pass. The start of the which was, of all names, Sheffield! Normally nothing of note, except the coincidental name, but no there is more! The (apparently) famous Sheffield pies, it was even on the regional news recently….and sure enough there on the high street was the establishment. So with a latte, I chose (from the plethora of choice) a lamb and whiskey pie! 🥧

It was tasty, but very rich….anyhow moving on from Sheffield (and I may be writing that again very soon?), to the real journey.

ARTHUR'S PASS

Named after Arthur Dobson…an English surveyor who was asked to map out a possible route from east to west in 1863. The attraction were the gold fields in the west, the English settlers in Canterbury (east) were prepared to leave home to seek their possible fortune. 💰

However in 2023, disappointing that the journey so far had been quite dull and rainy…and it continued, climbing higher into the mountains, there was nothing to see! Then suddenly approaching Lake Lyndon, there was a chink of blue, which evolved, even though the mountains got higher. This is typical New Zealand, the weather can change so rapidly…and then approaching on my right, my first stopping point Castle Hill.

Now these should be called Elephant Rocks, and the almost identical smaller limestone geological forms near Oamaru, should be renamed from Rocks to Stones! Very impressive though….huge limestone morphs scattered randomly.

Soon arriving at the settlement actually called Arthur’s Pass, at about 2500ft, and making the 40 min round walk to check out the Devils Punchbowl waterfall - at 400ft, quite impressive. But no Keas! 🦜

NZ birds evolved, with a high proportion of indigenous ground feeders, their main predators being birds of prey. They were comparatively safe!

Then the Europeans (and Australians) brought rats and possums, but worse stoats that have decimated the populations, to extinction in too many cases..Keas, a mountain parrot have survived but much reduced. Nationally though there is a commitment to eradicate all “pests” by 2050….very sad, watch this space! 😢

GREYMOUTH

Greeted by my very pleasant Airbnb host Layla, a dance music DJ who also played saxophone (so I told her about, and sent her a couple of Griz albums 😉) - originally from Auckland, but now in what is the largest town on the west coast, but I must say, not very inspiring. I visited the famous (in NZ) Monteith brewery, and had a couple of their offerings and some sort of chicken burger (bar / pub based menus seems to be very basic everywhere)…unfortunately the ale and food, matched my initial impressions of the town. 🤷‍♂️

The next morning, as planned I dumped my car in Ross, some 70km down the coastal highway, and (for the first time in probably 30 years), hitched a lift back. Sharing the journey with a larger than life lady, who was based in Fox Glacier, travelling all that way for a bank and to get her hair done! We chatted in detail about raves, dance music and chemical experiences 🙌 🕺……she was planning a trip to England and Scotland in 2023, but was also going to Ibiza to get the “full experience” before she got too old! (No comprendo! 😂).

In the afternoon, I gave the bike a stretch, first 20km south on the actual trail, but then north to Point Elizabeth Lookout - a gnarly single track climb to an excellent view, well worth the visit! Chatted to a couple who's son lived in Kendal, and they'd been there last Summer - we exchanged opinions on the best Lakeland walks!

Anyhow the reason I dumped my car, was to ride the 132km West Coast Wilderness Trail the next day, point to point, and so….after a slightly better meal in a local pub that evening, but I much improved the experience, when after getting bored with Queen, Kiss, Guns and Roses etc on their screens, I got them to put on the Stone Roses, at the Heaton Park reunion, the food suddenly tasted better! 😂 - but the walk home was even better, with a super sunset, viewed from just above Layla's gaff!

THE WEST COAST WILDNERNESS TRAIL

From a few months experience now, NZ weather apps are friggin useless, far far worse than the UK and even Mallorca….basically you learn to simply open the curtains and look!🙄

So on awakening and seeing that the forecast was a day of torrential rain (and a warning from Hamish who sent me a radar to confirm that) I still set off! At 0730 I was on my way, at 0830 I was outside the only bike shop in Greymouth. My front tubeless tyre had a puncture, and the sealant had “rubberised”, so useless….I put an innertube in it, but wasn’t happy riding 132km out in the depths of the temperate rain forest, with a high risk of a pinch flat…😢

So with a new tubeless tyre I set off at 10, very hesitantly, in very light rain.

Within 45 mins it was a monsoon, ⛈️⛈️⛈️and it more or less stayed like that for the next 4 hours….but I persevered, in retrospect I should’ve delayed the ride by a day. Riding deeper and deeper into the bush, only seeing a handful of other riders…I eventually reached the approximate half way point, at a notorious place named Cowboy Paradise, the furthest point west. Google “Cowboy Paradise” and check out the reviews, with disbelief! In the context it’s supposed to be a bike trail stop off, the detail on pole dancing girls and illicit booze is simply quite incongruous. 😳🫣 But true…The general advice is to put your foot down and get through it….the authorities are apparently looking to re route the trail. 🚴‍♂️💨💨

The following day, I met two travel worn Dutch guys, similar age to me, who knew the owner personally..said he had been a decent guy once, but that the demon booze had got the worse of him….and the reviews and stories are true, one day he’ll be regarded probably as a local anti hero!

By 75km and heading back to the coast, I’d had enough now of the drenching, and sure I was passing some nice places….but I’d passed caring. 🤷‍♂️ ⛈️ Eventually joining the main coastal highway, with only 30km to go, at Hokitika, I decided to drop the trail and head directly to Ross, and collect the car. One day I’ll return in the sunshine and do the trail again!

On the itinerary the next day, was to explore Hokitika and its environs, so I headed to my new digs in Kumara - in between Greymouth and Hokitika, in the oddly named establishment called the Undertakers Lodge, which was suspiciously cheap!

Yes, an undertaker did used to live there, and it was cheap because it was a shared backpackers place, on the first night with a few French yooths, but also a very nice Finnish couple, who I had drinks with in the associated hotel opposite….interesting chat including how conscription is still compulsory in Finland, because of the distrust of their neighbours, Russia! 🇷🇺💥

Retiring to bed, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky! 🙄

HOKITIKA AND THE ENVIRONS

I awoke to a stunningly beautiful morning, of course….I really should have delayed the trail ride yesterday! Onwards and upwards though….so first stop Hokitika for a coffee, and mooch around….a cool little town, certainly best on this stretch of coast.☀️

I walked to Sunset Point (via some excellent street art), on the estuary of the Hokitika River, along the ocean front, admiring the roaring power of the waves, and intrigued by the “flotsam art” - some quite interesting, and some garbage (literally). Reaching the Point, I got a coffee from a couple of super cool Dutch guys (aren’t they always?) who had a mobile coffee lifeboat! They recommended an itinerary for me, a chunk of which was on the trail route, some of which I bypassed the previous day. As above we also had an interesting chat about Cowboy Paradise.

Leaving with some anti sandfly spray (they are little buggers), I headed on their route, stopping first at Lake Kaniere….where I’d been during yesterdays deluge, really? Bloody hell, what a difference it was, absolutely stunning…I got the bike out and did a section of the trail I missed yesterday, it was brilliant. 😍

Via The Dorothy Falls, which were roadside, and ok, I headed to the place that everyone says you should visit if in this area: The Hokitika Gorge:

Water this turquoise really doesn’t come easily, it’s a combo of glacial melt and ground rock powder…the ravine formed by sudden glacial melt, and constantly fed by the melt….quite unrealistic even in the world of those amazing blues everywhere….an understandable highlight. 😍

But at the falls I had a classic schoolboy giggle, and absolutely no apologies for this: the Kiwis (all of them, obviously) love their forest walks, but nothing but greenery and more lush greenery, and there is a lot of it…they really do….at Dorothy Falls there was a commemorative bench with a plaque, which read:

Rest in Peace Mary Jones - 1947 to 2011

SHE LOVED HER BUSH

Well really, Mary, and good for you! (I giggled to myself as I returned to my car). 😂

Finishing the itinerary near to Lake Mahinapua - the bike was needed again, and again riding an excellent section, I bypassed yesterday….I really do need to comeback one day and redo the Wilderness Trail!

A quick pizza in Hokitika and back to the undertaker’s gaff. The dynamics had changed, all the Yooths had flown, 👏 replaced by an older middle aged lady who was doing the trail, and as I walked out to cross over to the hotel bar, another fully loaded (proper tourer) cyclist was coming up to the door….

Gary joined me for a beer. Gary was doing part of the full “AT” (Aotearoa Trail) - the full most northerly to the most southerly point of NZ….madness! 🤪

Telling me he was a management consultant (and had some work to do later!) , he came to NZ for a break and to visit friends, and just decided to do the bike tour, after promising his girlfriend he’d come back home, to Chamomix, France. 😉

In 2011, I did the Tour of Mt Blanc on a mountain bike, and returned to stay with the organiser Simon, with my family, some weeks later. Turns out, Gary and Simon are close pals…what a small world…! (and btw the accommodation manager was from Chapeltown, Sheffield - similar to Bex, was travelling, met a Kiwi, rest is history….these Kiwis taking our women! 😂).

We exchanged mobile numbers, and Gary may visit Mallorca one day….and btw he survived Cowboy Paradise! 😊