A Weekend in Westport

We got the truck back from the garage with it's reconditioned motor and decided to go away for a weekend. Bernie chose Westport. It was far enough away to give the truck a work out but close enough to allow us to travel there in a couple of hours (well, a bit more than that - close to three hours).
It would also be the first time Bernie and I have traveled together towing the rig. Usually I follow behind in the light vehicle with the dogs. This time we left the dogs at home with our neighbour Sarah looking after them.

The night before we packed up and secured the bikes in the truck's shed. They were to be our mode of transport. Bernie finished work at lunchtime on Thursday and we took less than an hour to hitch up the rig and leave Nelson.

We were expecting the road from Kawatiri Junction through to the Buller turnoff to be busy. We weren't wrong. It was similar to a motorway! The traffic has increased dramatically since the Kaikoura earthquake cut off the East Coast's route.

Lots of stops for road works, repairing roads due to the increase of traffic.

It was a relief to turn off the highway, towards Buller Gorge. As usual the lush, abundant native bush stood out throughout the drive. Ferns everywhere and some roads winding under a tunnel of overhanging native trees. Simply stunning.

When we reached Hawks Crag I got Bernie to drop me off so I could photograph the truck going underneath the rock. I was interested to see how much clearance we had. Evidently quite a bit.

Other special features of the Buller Gorge were the iron bridges and traffic lights placed on narrow, rural roads.

Westport greeted us with warm, dry weather. We drove through town to North Beach and unhitched the rig.

Dinner that night was 'Tony's Fish n Chips' and we weren't disappointed. I still rank these as the best I've tasted!

That night we were treated to a spectacular sunset. Drifting off to the sound of waves crashing onto shore was the perfect end to the day.

The next morning we climbed on our bikes and cycled the new bike/walking track that Westport's community have developed. It starts at North beach and winds in amongst bush and trees parallel to the beach. Then crosses over the road to the tip head and veers towards the township via Shingle Beach and The Lost Lagoon.

Once in town we visited the 'coal museum'. Bernie bought a book on 'Denniston' which he says is fantastic. 

We grabbed Chinese for lunch and because the day was hot and sunny we sat at a picnic table under some trees beside the Main Street.

Then we biked to visit Fran & Ron (Bernie's sister and brother 'n' law). Ron is creative and able to put his hand to anything - here's a giant Indian he made from tyres and other recycled materials. I should have asked Bernie to stand beside it, to appreciate its size!

The great thing about the location of Westport is it's flat, which makes biking a breeze. 

Later that evening, the clouds rolled in, so there wasn't a sunset to capture. It was still nice to walk along the beach, past groups of people cooking sausages over beach fires. Someone had the perfect view from their kombi.

The NZMCA park where we stayed must have had 16 -20 campers, caravans, and buses each night while we were there. Some left in the morning to explore and returned later that evening. Others stayed overnight and left early the next day to continue their travels.

The cost was $3 per person per night. The visitors book was handily kept in a fridge under cover in an iron shed. The freezer part of the fridge had a range of books to read.

Saturday morning we woke to clouds smothering the sky. I got up just after 7 to capture the sunrise.

"Red in the morning, shepherds warning"

The colours changed so quickly. By the time I walked the short distance to the beach the colours had intensified! The colours were beautiful - I couldn't stop clicking (these are just a few of what I actually took).

Although it was threatening to rain, it was good to relax at the rig. We got a few visitors which was lovely. Don (Bernie's brother), Chris (my friend from South School), Fran & Ron, other campers wanting to check out the rig and our friends Julie & Trev (and their daughter Emma).

Sunday, we threw the bikes in the truck's shed and drove 25 minutes south to Charleston. I was keen to photograph 'Constant Bay' and bike along Beach Road which runs along the Nile River.

We walked up Flagstaff Hill which gives a good view over the mouth of the bay. It got its name back in the gold rush days when boats had to navigate their way through the narrow and treacherous entrance.

A red flag indicated that boats could enter.

A blue flag meant the water was low and for the captain to wait for the tide to turn.

Seeing a white flag hoisted meant the entrance was dangerous and the surf too heavy for boats to enter. 

We left Constant Bay and had lunch at a local cafe. An old decrepit bach sat neglected across the road.

Once our tummies were full we set off to the Nile River which is only a few metres from Charleston heading north. We parked the truck and rode our bikes along the gravel road following the tannin stained river.

Some creative person wove a fish from flax and hung it from driftwood.

 Back at the rig we got chatting to our neighbours, Marilyn & Murray from the Kapiti Coast. They have rented out their house and are traveling around NZ in their campervan. They live on a lifestyle block and grow olive trees, which they use to make their own olive oil. We were thrilled when they gave us a bottle.

If the dogs had of been with us they would have gone nuts with the wood hens wandering around the camp. Obviously they've been fed because they're super tame and tried many times to join us in the rig. A caravan across from us had left their cat tied to their van while they were out. When I went over to see the cat, a wood hen joined me. It walked straight up to the cat and grabbed the poor thing's tail. The cat got a heck of a fright and shot off under the van!

There was no sunrise the following morning, just cloud. The beach was deserted except for a cycling tourist snuggled up in a sleeping bag on a picnic bench. I'm sure it can't have been a very comfortable night's rest.

Time to leave....We had an awesome few days away. We both weren't ready to leave but we were looking forward to seeing the dogs. We packed up, hitched up and headed to the dump station with Fran, Marilyn & Murray waving us goodbye.

The new dump station is well placed for bigger rigs. We went in the truck to check how easy it would be to get in there. Lots of room.

Driving out of Westport you can't help but admire the handy work of some creative wood stacker. Each season he creates something new with his firewood. Last time it was a kiwi - this time a fish.

One of the little traditions we like to do when we stay at a new place is to collect some wild flowers to display in the rig. Here's a selection gathered from North Beach.