Audacious Freedom Live anywhere. Travel everywhere.

Needing a break to indulge in the luxuries of cafe life, art galleys and to treat ourselves to the Monteith’s Brewery we decided to head up to Greymouth for a day. Greymouth is the largest town on the West coast with an estimated population of 10 000 and accounts for about 42% of the west coasts inhabitants.

Monteith’s Brewery

After humble beginings in the 1800s the famous Monteith’s Brewery is still operational. This facility is run by about 11 people and it is amazing to see how efficiently they operate.

They run 5 tours a day with the option of a tour and beer tasting or a tour and meal. We opted for the standard tour and beer tasting. The tour round the facility included tasting the hops (interesting!), peering into open fermenters and explanations of the various pipes, rooms and electronics. Ending with the highlight of taste testing 8 different beers from a shandy type beer to black beer.

They serve generous amounts per person with the total combined adding up to just over a pint of beer. So bikers beware that you don’t inadvertently go over the drink limit while enthusiastically tasting the types of beer!

Floodwall Walk

If you need to do something a bit lighter on the purse then there are interesting historical walks taking you back into Greymouths history. Stop off at the tourist information to find out where the walks are and what is suitable for you.

We decided to do part of the Floodwall Walk. The Great Wall of Greymouth protects the town from the potential flooding of the Greymouth River and has become something of an icon. The Floodwall path provides insight into  the river’s historical value and commercial involvement. We walked from the famous Clock tower to the wharf, reading the various information boards and exploring the Walk’s exhibits (art, statues, old trains).

Though you can wander along, it is better to have a map. The walk goes through a built up industrial area and it took two wrong turns before we figured out how to get through the area and back onto the path. We only walked as far as wharf but you can continue on to the lagoon.

Instead we turned round to find a coffee shop, enjoy the sunshine and re-fuel with a scrumptish piece of chocolate cake.

Other places of interest in and around Greymouth that you might enjoy:

Shanty Town: a restored replica of an 1880′s West Coast gold mining town. This town is also a living monument to the pioneers who overcame obstacles living in rugged enviroments in search of their fortunes.

Model Village at ‘On ye bikes’: it is built on an acre of ground dedicated to replicating 3 coastal towns. Walk through these village scenes which are built both indoors and outdoors for an interesting and memorable lesson in history. If you are adventurous then join in one of their quad biking, go-karting or the weird Haglund ride.

The Nelson region is a natural paradise of golden sands, turquoise seas, alpine lakes and forest clad hills. This is a region where nature didn’t hold back! You can pick from popular hang outs to unforgettable private beaches that are only accessible by foot or boat. Here you will find a combination of beautiful scenery and a relaxed attitude.

If you have time explore all of the Nelson region’s different National parks:

1) Khaurangi – the biggest and wildest of the three parks.
2) Nelsons lakes – tranquil and picturesque
3) Abel Tasman Park – has exquiste beaches.

These three National parks are all located within 90min of each other.

If you only have time to explore one then I recommend either walking or kayaking along the Abel Tasman shore line.

What makes a good holiday? Sights, scenery, adventure, accommodation? For me the difference between a good holiday and a fascinating holiday is enjoying the local cultural life and talking to the many interesting people we meet along the way.

Wanaka is not somewhere we had any intention of visiting or even passing through. However, our neighbours convinced us to stop over and stay with a friend of theirs. Our host for two days, Andrew kept us entertained till late at night with his experiences of growing up in the South Island.

Andrew, inherited his father’s farm. Initially he mainly had cows but as the land and vegetation changed sheep became more profitable. However, Andrew hated working with sheep – he found them finicky – easily getting sick, needing far more attention than cattle and the worst for him was the smell. A farmer who didn’t like the smell of farm animals?! Eventually he sold the farm for a small fortune. With the money he made he bought a couple of holiday homes, a boat and set up his own business.

Growing up in the South Island made him rougher and more adventurous than the city boys.  South Islanders also seemed to have a different take on things especially back in the 70s and 80s when life was much more rural and had far less restrictions and regulations. He kept us in laughter with his stories on the farm. One he told was about fishing expeditions a group of farmer went on. Not your normal fishing story of line and rod. Oh no – dynamite chucked in the water and away you go, fish for a whole month for four families! Yes this would be unacceptable now and there are rules against it – however, at the time it was a convenient way to ensure that there was food on the table amidst a busy day of running a farm with little income.

Since then I have read a few biographies of South Islanders and grown to really like them as people. They have a different set of standards and rules which comes from the harsh rugged conditions that they live and work in especially those growing up in the 60s and 70s.

If you can find a true South Islander take the time to have a chat with them. The stories they can tell you are sometimes beyond belief – and maybe they are but they will keep you entertained and laughing and it will be the highlight of your trip!

After all the touring, beautiful coastal roads, bays and lakes, ‘roughing it’ in the hut and tent we arrived in Wanaka. The house we were staying in was a holiday home overlooking the lake. The moment we saw the house and its location we knew we were in for a treat. We had an upstairs room with an en-suite. After roughing it we felt like royalty using a bathroom that had gold rimmed taps and handles. Our bedroom had a balcony overlooking the lake and mountain and it cost us… nothing but one meal that we bought and cooked for everyone the first night.

Wanaka, made a real impression on me. It is situated at the bottom of these magnificent mountains right on the Wanaka lake. The golden grass on the mountains give the town a golden glow and it feels like you are slipping into a time warp. This is a colourful town away from the main tourist area that is welcoming, transporting you into a ‘fantasy’ world where everything is okay and you can relax and chill out. It is not big but it does have a street cafe culture which is so unique you will be tempted to try out every cafe!

In the warmer season there are plenty of hikes of various distances that allow you to explore the hidden treasures of the mountains such as historical gold mines. In winter (I am told) you will be able to experience excellent skiing conditions. Being on motorbikes I was grateful that there was no snow only bright beautiful sunshine. Other favourite pastimes in Wanaka is fishing, boating and exploring the different inlets and islands via boat.

The highlight of our trip was going to an island only reachable by boat so not many people around. On the way to our destination we passed island after island of different coloured rocks next to forest islands. Everywhere we looked was natural habitat and the reflections in the water were almost perfect. It took about 30 minute to reach our destination island which was a perfect get away island and a designated national park. Our guide showed us the way to the top – we were expecting views of the surrounding islands and Wanaka lake – we did not expect to see a smaller lake! A lake on top of a lake. Reasonably big and very deep, this lake was fed by the surrounding big lake.

This was an extraordinary place. Definitely worth a visit if you can find someone to take you out there! But even if you don’t want to spend time on the boat then time out to relax in Wanaka is not to be missed.

Glacier country: mountains, snow, perfect roads and ‘gob-smackingly beautiful’ rivers. The moment we hit glacier country the rivers and streams went from a dark colour to a bright turquoise colour. For the techie people this turquoise colour is created by sunlight radiating off the ground rock and minerals in the melted glacier water. For the non techie people just stand in awe and enjoy.

There are two glacial towns: Franz Joseph and Fox Glacier. Franz Joseph is the biggest with cafes, restaurants, tourist adventures and information centres. We found a lovely campsite there but it had no grass. Only after setting up camp I noticed that there were beautiful trees but no grass anywhere in the township, except in the little church yard. Everywhere the ground was stony.

Franz Joseph offers everything from hiking the glacier to helicopter trips. We opted for the least adventures and cheapest way to experience Franz Joseph Glacier – to walk to the base and have lunch. We couldn’t decide whether to go to the start of the glacier walk by bike or bus. In the end damage done to another biker’s seat convinced us to leave our bikes in camp and take a bus.

The trip to the glacier is definitely a highlight. To be walking through a temperate forest, near sea level with this huge ice mountain that looks like a cat’s paw reaching over the mountain trying to get you is indescribable. The power in that amount of ice that is moving towards you at a rate of 1m a day (so no need to rush out the way except for falling ice rocks if you get too close to the terminal face of the glacier) is just awesome.

We walked all the way to the glacier face and was surprised at its height. The people climbing on it (with professional guides) looked like tiny ants. The surface was rocky with tiny pebbles, big rocks and ice all mixed together. A river ran right under it catching all the melting snow and had formed an ice cave which was extremely dangerous to go into. I was also surprised at how cold and windy it was at the glacier face.

Due to global warming the glacier has retreated since its 1930’s position. However, while we were there a lady told us when she first visited in the 1070’s they couldn’t see the glacier at all except by helicopter yet we could walk right up to the front of it and touch it. The descriptive display boards had photographs of what changes have taken place since the late 1800s. It was fascinating to see that where this display board was used to be a lake with ice bergs in it. That was hard to imagine standing there with stony rocks and a dried river bed around us.

There are also other interesting walks at the base of the glacier giving you different viewpoints and look out points of the glacier. I remember only one requiring a degree of fitness, but definitely well worth doing!

Never underestimate wildlife! Though there are no dangerous creatures in New Zealand except the wasp, there are little critters that can cause havoc and it is best to be prepared.

Sand flies!

Sand flies! Beware of them – they don’t care about your blood type. They don’t care what you wear except if it has deet in it. They swarm and bite any bare unprotected flesh with a vengeance that I haven’t experience anywhere else! They are relentless and determined. They will find a whole or make a whole in order to get to your tasty flesh!

They are the thorn of an otherwise perfect beautiful West Coast experience. Stay covered, keep covered in deet spray (30% is strong enough) and if they are really bothering you – keep moving don’t stand still it gives them time to take strategic pinpoint action. They don’t seem to hang around too much if you are walking or running. And make sure you have antihistamines available – this helps relieve the swelling and any after effects. I always carry a local antihistamine and anaesthetic cream just to help soothe the incessant itch.

Kea

A far more benign creature the Kea is definitely a bird to keep your eye on. Beautiful, intelligent and very destructive mountain parrots. They are believed to have the brain power of a seven year old and love destroying anything soft – like pannier bags or the rubber seals round car windows. Two places to be especially careful when leaving your motorbike are at Fox Glacier and Milford Sounds. We have seen motor bikers come back after exploring the surrounding areas to nonexistent motor bike seats. They are bold and brave. Once I had a kea attack my motorbike boots while I was still wearing them.

While watching a kea destroy the roof rack of an unsuspecting car owner who thought the bird was cute, our guide told us that he had watched a kea in the same place pretend to be limping. He would hobble and look like he was in pain every time tourists stopped. This kea had worked out that if he looked injured he got fed. What the guide found funny was every now and then when the kea though no one was looking it would swap legs.

Possum

Another critter that requires a passing mention is the possum. Loved and protected in Australia, hated in New Zealand. It is one of the creatures responsible the huge destruction and endangerment of New Zealand’s unique flightless birds. For most part you won’t see them except dead on the road. Keep your eye out as your round corners that you don’t land up skidding on a dead possum. Also birds of prey are sometimes more determined to eat the carcass than to get out of your way.

Wekas

Wekas are ground birds with gentle but very curious natures. They love food and will quite easily take food out your hand, your bag, off your picnic table or any other place food may be hiding. And watch your toes! There eyesight is quite bad and anything that is white and wriggles must be worms… and their beaks are pretty sharp.