June 21, 2017 – Greymouth to Takaka

This is going to be a long, long drive, so we leave as soon as it’s light. Sweet John offers us breakfast (taka) before we leave, but we’re eager to get on the road.  And his tiny kitchen with the wood-burning stove and two kids and the “working guest” is just really too crowded to consider.  It was a very charming offer, though.  He said his chickens had been busy and his guests, few.  Hope things improve for him!

 The only road is SH 6, so once we make the eight kilometer trek back to it, we’re pretty much all set.  We stop a moment to enjoy the gentle sunrise over the Tasman Sea and continue on to the Pancake Rocks, or Punakaiki, so named because their layered structure looks like…oh never mind, you get it!  We are extremely fortunate, in that we arrive at high tide and the blowholes are working over time!  Nature is just overwhelming sometimes!  While we’re there the mist lifts and some sunshine appears to brighten our photos.  Our spirits don’t need any help! 

There is a café and gift shop just across the road and it’s really time for breakfast now.  I know we should have had the pancake special with chocolate and bananas;  but this meal has to last a long time and, instead, we get their version of eggs benedict.  This seems to be one of the several popular breakfast choices everywhere we stop and its great, both in size and deliciousness!  Top it off with TWO huge cups of flat white coffee and we’re good to go.  To go to the gift shop, that is!  Who can resist just looking?? 

Our breakfast buddy!

Back into the car for the long trek ahead  -  We only have one other stop planned before the many hour trek to Takaka, along the Golden Bay in the very northern part of the island.  But what a stop it is!  There is a seal colony on Tauranga Bay, just outside of Westport.  The lady at the gift shop had given us directions that were spot on. You follow the Cape Foulwind Road and after you park it is just a short walk to the lookout points.  As we enter, we meet to ladies who are just beaming and they tell us to go to the second view point.  From there you can see seal pups playing in their own pool!  And sure enough it’s true!  And the rocks are all covered with moms who are basking in the sun, and many of whom are nursing their young!  It’s all like a Nat Geo movie and very hard to leave, even knowing we’ve got a long drive, filled with hairpin 

curves, ahead of us! 

This guy is a weka.  The locals try to pass him off as a kiwi, since you'll probably never see a real kiwi!

There’s not a lot to say about a long drive like this.  The good part is that there still aren’t many people on this little two-lane state highway.  And it’s really the only road up the coast and across.  We do get to make a decision about whether to take a “minor” road which will cut off some distance.  So far all the roads have been lovely and there’s no reason to doubt this one.  Our choice proves to be a good one.  There’s no way to avoid all the twisty-curvies if you want to visit mountains, after all!

We had hoped that we wouldn’t have to look for the Waitapu Springs Spa, Sauna and B&B in the dark.  Hope springs eternal, after all.  As we drive north in the dark and pass East Takaka and West Takaka we begin to worry that we’ve missed something!  I call and talk with Serge who assures us that Takaka is still to come and that we go straight through, bend to the left at the high school and go 200 meters to his lighted driveway.  I ask if there’s a sign and if it’s lit.  Well, there’s a street light that shines on it, sort of.  Oh dear.  Here we go again.

But we find it right away and once inside realize that we’ve gone from the ridiculous to the sublime!  Wow!  This really is a spa resort!  There is a sauna and two hot tubs and an indoor pool.  But mostly there are Serge and Marie, two Belgians who have settle in New Zealand, who are the funniest, most charming hosts possible!  Serge shows us around their facility, introduces us to Louise, who looks like a Maine coon, and Charlotte, who takes us residence on Marilyn’s bed!  We are pretty exhausted but stay up long enough to chat a bit and to meet our other housemate.  She’s an itinerant teacher and is just coming in from the hot tub with her wine glass in her hand.  This is going to be great!!  Serge asks is we need the other bed, and goes off to get me more blankets.  Turns out I won’t need them;  the heating is perfect and the duvet does a great job.  Down for the count!