Punakaiki

We spent last night at at cabin on the West Coast, just north of Greymouth. The cabin was very nice, and obviously the result of typical Kiwi know-how. Obviously built by the owners, it was very well fit out and comfortable, including a separate large hot tub. The area was beautifully "landscaped", if that is the right word for the natural surroundings, with a stream, paths, and plants. The West Coast, has a much different feel than the east coast: it is much wetter so far more lush. The ocean is also much rougher.

We drove north ten miles or so to Punakaiki, home of the pancake rocks and blowholes. It was pouring rain, but we did the half-hour walk to the coast. We hit the timing about right: it was close to high tide, so the water crashing against the rocks was spectacular. The rocks themselves are layered (hence the "pancake") and quite striking.


We continued driving north along the coast, headed for Nelson. Just before Nelson we visited the birthplace of Ernest Rutherford, Nobel prize winner in Chemistry, and pride of McGill University, where he did much of his Noble work (and where my father got his PhD in chemistry). Nice displays (though it looked like we were the only visitors in a while), along with a life-size stature of Rutherford as a very small boy.

Then off to Nelson!

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