Wintry Westland

The alarm went off at 5am on Saturday morning. It was the first day of the school holidays. We dragged ourselves from our snuggly bed and got ready for a long drive to Hokitika. We had arranged with our neighbour, that she would look after the dogs while we were away. The dogs watched as we had breakfast and knew we were up to something. Being determined not to miss out, Boo jumped in the back of the truck as Bernie put our bags in. We couldn't do it. We didn't have the heart to leave them...not even for a day! I sent a text through to Sarah letting her know she was relieved of her dog-sitting duties, and we set off.
The sun didn't appear until 7:30ish, by then we were in Murchison. We stopped for a hot chocolate to take away.
Once on the West Coast it was obvious we were in for a bleak day.

The stretch of road past Ikamatua had low cloud at the base of the mountains.

After the small settlement of Ahaura we found an area for the dogs to have a break. We took them for a stroll along a bush track.

We arrived in Kumara at 10:30am to meet the owners of a bush block we were interested in.

The land ticked all the boxes however we're concerned with the amount of sun we'd get in winter. Relying on sunlight for power makes this an important factor to consider. While we can control the height of the trees on our property, we're worried about the height the neighbouring bush may potentially reach.

After lunch at a local cafe, we took a drive to the Kapitea Reserve, which is just out of the Kumara township. I was hoping there wouldn't be a breeze so I could get a few reflection photos. Unfortunately there was a gentle wind. However it was a great spot to get a breath of fresh air and let the dogs stretch their legs.

The Taramakau Bridge is a rail and car bridge that's currently used. As we crossed it we noticed a new bridge being constructed nearby. Perhaps this bridge will be a thing of the past very soon.

Although we wanted to check other areas out, we were dictated by time. We didn't intend staying the night as wanted to leave the Coast to head home before sun set.