Feb 12 - Truman and Pancake Rocks

Today we started out on the Truman Track, which was a little 10 minute walk that left from our Hostel in Punakaiki. It went through a very lush rainforest, wound down through some native grasses and finished up on a beach with a rocky shoreline and deeply in-cut coves. The tide was low but was coming in, so the waves were really pounding the rocks. The beach itself was composed of tiny polished rocks which were really tough on the feet. There was a small waterfall at the back end of the beach dropping down the cliff and forming a little fresh water stream that trickled down to the shoreline.









We checked out of the Te Nikau retreat, which was the hostel we stayed at overnight. I asked the lady at the front desk about hiking up the Fox River, and she said that it would be pretty dangerous to do so, since they had just had some significant rain. That will have to wait until next time.




After we got back to the car, we drove for around 10 minutes south to the Pancake rocks in Punakaiki. A short path leads down to a rocky shore, and opens up in several places to views of these unique rock formations. The cliffs are structured in very regular and well defined layers of rocks. Deep ridges separarate the layers. The cliffs are on the shore, and when the tide is coming in, it makes for some very dramatic scenerey. The cliffs form narrow coves which amplify the rising water brought in by a wave such that one wave can cause a very quick rise in the water levels in these coves of 30-40 feet or more.







Attached to the side of the cliffs, right at waterline are a type of seaweed, which are some of the toughest plants I've ever seen. These things took like big bunches of black organic garden hose hanging from the cliff. when the waves rise and fall the seaweed is violently thrashed and swirled around the rocks. It's amazing the stuff is not pulverized. We saw some on the Truman track that had been pulled off of the rocks, and it is incredibly tough, I couldn't tear it by pulling it, almost like it was made of rubber.




Then we drove south through Greymouth, where we stopped for a quick lunch and grocery shopping, and continued on towards Franz Joseph. When we got to our Hostel at around 5:30 and parked the car, I noticed an older couple sitting behind their car in lawn charis having a gin and tonic at a little table they had set up. As we were walking to the car to go check out the glacier, I said to the old man "Looks like you guys have this thing figured out!" He got up and started talking with us. He had been a pilot in the New Zealand Navy and trained in the US during World War II. He trained in New York and Corpus Cristi (sp) Texas, and he said he loved it. After we talked for a little while, Katie and I took off to check out the glacier and returned a little later to get some dinner.

As we were about to leave our room, the old guy came up and invited us to have a drink with him and his friend. He said he was shown such hospitality in the US and never had the opportunity to return it, so he figured he'd take this chance to return the favor. We accepted and had a little bit of the Gin and Whiskey that he had distilled himself. I was a little leary, but since they had been drinking it themselves, I figured it was pretty safe, and it was surprisingly good. We talked for a good long while. He was from the North Island, and was going around to see all of the parts of New Zealand that he hadn't seen yet.

Katie and I then left for dinner, which was pretty good, it was a little pricey and the service was very slow. The villiage here at the base of the glacier is a hotspot for tourists, and I guess the dinner place is a side effect of that. The best meals we've gotten so far have come from the most unexpected places: mostly little unsuspecting neigborhood pubs which serve the most amazing food (the best rack of lamb I've ever had was at Eivan's in National Park, NZ ).

Anyhow, tomorrow we climb the glacier. It looks to be fun.