I woke up at around 10 am at the Lake Mahinapua DOC camping site, which is 10 kilometers south of Hokitika. Excitement filled the air as I knew today’s adventure awaited me at the Pancake Rocks. The previous night, there was a substantial amount of rain. I enjoyed the soothing sounds of rain hitting the car roof, reminiscent of the calming effect of sleeping at a campsite near the sea. The rhythmic drops on the roof had a relaxing impact on me.
Campsite Ambiance
I got up and went through my morning routine, including brushing my teeth. As I strolled around the toilet building, I examined the Nazi signs that had caught my attention the previous night. Returning to my car, I decided to take some pictures of them. In the daylight, the surroundings didn’t seem as intimidating as they did the night before. The combination of darkness, flickering lights in the toilet building, and the signs had created a creepy atmosphere during my initial encounter. It certainly wasn’t an inviting place for a relaxing nighttime visit. Fortunately, I was relieved that I could use the facilities while standing, as the thought of sitting down on those toilets was rather repulsive.
The surroundings of the campsite were pleasant, featuring a small lake named Lake Mahinapua. The route leading to the highway was equally appealing, resembling a drive through dense rainforest bushes.
I opted to head to Hokitika for breakfast. As rain resumed, I settled for a banana on the way to Greymouth, which was 20 kilometers from Hokitika. I regret not capturing more images of Hokitika; its town center had a distinctive wild west charm, quite amusing. Although I took some pictures yesterday, they didn’t fully capture the wild west aesthetic.
City Stop in Greymouth
I reached Greymouth after a 40-minute drive, enjoying the return to a regular city with all the necessary amenities. After extensive travels, my criteria for defining a city as such included the presence of at least a KFC and a McDonald’s. Their existence assured me of the city’s size, indicating the availability of a significant supermarket and multiple gas stations.
I drove into the city center with Google Maps guiding me directly to the library. Spending several hours there, I focused on work and online research. Engaging in financial analysis, I noticed a positive trend in my budget, steadily growing. Working with various budgets, including fuel, trip events, and daily expenses (food, accommodation), I regularly update my finance Excel file. Surprisingly, my daily budget has seen a significant increase in recent months. Fortunately, my initial overestimation of costs at home has proven beneficial, aligning with the “hope for the best, plan for the worst” approach in my travel plans.
Following a two-hour stint in the library, I relocated my car to another parking spot, where I enjoyed a sandwich. Afterward, I returned to the library, awaiting my laptop to charge. With plans to embark on the scenic drive along the west coast in the afternoon, I left the library around 3 or 4 pm. Fortunately, I had located a camping site along the coast for the night.
Scenic Drive Preparation
Before setting out on the scenic drive from Greymouth to Westport, covering approximately 120 kilometers, I made a stop at the supermarket to purchase supplies for the upcoming camping experience in the middle of nowhere.
Although the weather forecast appeared unfavorable, I couldn’t afford to wait for two days for the sun to appear; I had a tight schedule. My plan was to take the ferry to Wellington, on the North Island of New Zealand, on May 10th.
As I covered 2 kilometers on the road to Westport, I spotted the fuel warning sign indicating ‘no fuel for the next 90 km.’ Monitoring my fuel gauge, I decided to play it safe and refuel. After a brief detour, I filled up the tank and resumed my journey. Another 10 kilometers brought me to the coast, where I promptly pulled over at the first lookout. It was there that I captured my initial images of the stunning coastal views (as seen in the last two pictures above).
Coastal Arrival
Following some winding roads along the coast, the route led me inland again, passing through farmland for approximately 10 kilometers. Soon after, I found myself back at the coast, surrounded by breathtaking cliffs and numerous bends, reminiscent of the Great Ocean Road in Australia. Reflecting on the memorable weather during that Australian drive, I couldn’t help but wish for a similar experience. Continuing my journey, a sign for the Paparoa National Park and the Pancake Rocks caught my attention. Although I had read about it several times and temporarily forgot, I eagerly parked my car, thrilled at the prospect of not missing out on a sight worth seeing.
I strolled across the road toward the sign, embarking on a pleasant 20-minute round walk through the clean and well-maintained park adorned with informative signs about various plants. The area featured abundant corn crops. Enjoying the walk, I hastened toward the coastline as the sun began its descent. Eager to spend some quality time in the serene surroundings, I had a coke and a snack in hand.
Pancake Rocks and surroundings in Paparoa National Park
The initial outlook didn’t impress much, as seen in the first two pictures, but it offered a glimpse of the fascinating pancake rocks. My pace quickened, leading me to a bridge (pictured 3 below) with an intriguing surging pool on the right (pictured 4). To the left of the bridge (pictured 5 and 6), a large vent caught my attention; at first, I thought it was emitting smoke, but it turned out to be sea water.
It was fascinating witnessing the waves relentlessly crashing against the rocks, observing the erosion of the limestone rocks unfold before my eyes. What I initially thought would be just a collection of interesting pancake-shaped rocks turned out to be so much more. Continuing along the outlook track, which formed a circle spanning about 200 meters, I reached a vast area of pancake rocks with a substantial hole in the middle. To my surprise, water suddenly burst through the air like an explosion, creating an incredible spectacle. Capturing this on camera proved challenging as it occurred intermittently, with each massive wave striking the cliff, sending water soaring into the air.
Continuing my journey, I captured the coastal beauty through photographs and spent approximately 20 minutes marveling at the extraordinary waves crashing into the rocks. The experience surpassed my expectations!
Nighttime Navigation
As I strolled across the highway toward the car park, I noticed two girls observing me. With my car being the only one in the lot, I realized they were part of a tour company, awaiting the return of other passengers to the bus. In a spontaneous moment, I decided to showoff the luxury of having a car by turning up my music loudly, playing “Paradise” by Coldplay with the windows open.
I proceeded with my journey toward the campsite, located 20 kilometers from my current position. As the night fell, darkness surrounded me within 15 minutes. I reached the campsite just 5 minutes later. It turned out to be a private area, and I drove down the gravel path, arriving at a house. A notice on the door informed me that the reception was closed, and dogs were barking behind the fence. Navigating around the muddy grass area, I nearly got stuck. Frustrated, I decided, “That’s it, forget this. I’ll head towards Westport.”
Hostel Haven
Westport lay just 30 kilometers ahead. Exhausted, I yearned for some relaxation with episodes of How I Met Your Mother. As the winding road along the west coast straightened, I found myself trailing a camper moving at a leisurely 70 kilometers per hour. Once it was safe to overtake, I accelerated to 110 kilometers per hour, eager to reach Westport at the earliest opportunity.
I arrived at around 8 pm and discovered a few camping sites, but they were relatively pricey. Luckily, I found a hostel listed on Wikicamps that provided campsites. For 15 dollars, I decided to spend the night in my car, making use of the facilities available. The hostel turned out to be quite pleasant and had a cool vibe.
In the evening, I freshened up with a shower and spent some time working on my laptop. The hostel generously provided free Wi-Fi, but the speed was a bit slow, so I decided to pause the upload and planned to resume it the next morning. I hit the hay quite late, around 2 am.
