20 May FRANZ JOSEF - PUNAKAIKI

After checking out from YHA at 8:15 am, once again we headed to Lake Matheson, hopefully this time we could get a clear view of the reflection of Mount Cook. 

The sky was cloudy along the journey from Franz Josef to Fox Glacier.  We knew that the chances to see the perfect reflection was slim.  We hesitated whether we should go ahead or turned back to proceed to our next destination, Punakaiki.  It was a hard decision for us, looking that the journey to Punakaiki would take 4 hours. Anyway, after much consideration, we decided to test our luck at Lake Matheson.  

To save time, we ran all the way to the viewing jetty once we reached the entrance of Lake Matheson.  Half way through the track, the cloud magically cleared up. This made us more eager, we ran even faster.

We finally made it to the viewing jetty and Mount Cook was clearly reflected on the Lake.  Unfortunately, there was much disturbance on the water surface.  Many 'hardworking' ducklings were wadding in the lake, breaking the stillness of the water, which spoilt the sharpness of the reflection.  So, remember, the best time to visit Lake Matheson is late afternoon, when the ducklings are tired of swimming and have gone back to their nests.  But again, the evening fog would probably thicken by that time. So, it is all about luck!
Ducklings in the lake spoilt the stillness of the reflection.

 The best shot we could get that morning

By 10:30 am, we left for Punakaiki.  The journey was long and winding.  In addition, the strong sun again shined through the passenger seat's window.  I felt nausea again.  Feeding on the pickled pineapple, we finally arrived in Hokitika for lunch.  We picked a cafe called Millie Cafe.  Upon stepping in, it was a cafe filled with senior citizens.  Both of us, though stepping into our 40's were apparently the youngest among all.  The setting of the cafe seemed very old-fashioned too. Bernard happily ordered a whitebait patties as he has read about whitebait as rare and expensive fish.  I ordered an egg and bacon pie.  Both of which turned out to be a disaster.  The 'expensive' fish turned out to be our 'ikan bilis' fried with eggs, while the egg and bacon pie tasted horrible.  To make things worst, I had to go to the ladies, but there was a queue of senior citizens, inching their way slowly to the washroom.  We quickly finished our lunch and made a dash out of the town.

Hokitika Clock Tower

Not long after that, we reached Greymouth.  It was a refreshing sight to see New World at the edge of the town and my shopping instinct quickly kicked-in.  We stopped by to get some ingredients for tonight's dinner.  It was a quick stop, and 15 minutes later, we were on our way to Punakaiki again. 

The journey was breathtaking with beautiful beaches and cliffs dotting the coastline.  The wave of  Tasman Sea was also very strong. 


However, the road was still winding, which made the passenger dizzy.  Many dizzy corners later, we arrived at Punakaiki, a rather small and deserted town.  Even our hostel, the Te Nikau Retreat, was well hidden in the thick Nikau tree bushes.  No doubt, the setting of this hostel is more like a home than other YHA hostels.  It is sparkling clean, decorated as if it is a cozy country house.  However since it is hidden deep in the forest, I instantly relate it to a hut in Midsomer Murder series.  Any murder happened here would forever remain as a secret......There was no lock on the room's door too. Well, letting go and trusting each others are the qualities you must possess if you chose to stay here.

Te Nikau Retreats

At 4 pm, we visited the famous blowholes and pancake rocks.  We were very fortunate as it was high tide and the strong wave, which forced into holes on the cliff created great scene of 'chimney pot'.  When the 'steam' was forced into the air, we all got wet.  But it was indeed a very unique and breathtaking scenes.  There were many cliffs and rocks in various odd shapes.  Their faces changed according to your imagination. Remember to visit the blow holes during the high tide. You can bump into high tide based on your luck, like us or check the schedule with Punakaiki i-Site.


Blowholes

Pancake Rocks

By 5pm we went back to Te Nikau Retreat and decided to walked to the beach to enjoy the sunset.  We followed the signage behind the hostel to gain access to the sea side. Before long,  we were led to a dark jungle track where only a human height and width can pass through.   Surrounded by dark forest and inaudible bird chirping ( or something else which seems to be following us?), we felt really eerie and decided to sacrifice the sunset.  The sky turned dark in just a second when we managed to escape from the dark bushes.  

What could be better than having beef curry in a cold and quiet night? That was what I prepared for dinner.  

A German couple moved in by dinner time.  The wife was already 9 month pregnant and they just got married last week.  They were on their 2 week honeymoon travelling around South Island. We had a long chat after dinner.  I also met Kiwi, a Taiwanese girl, who was so happy to finally meet someone who can speak mandarin.  She was getting free accommodation by working for Te Nikau Retreat.  Surrounded by new found friends, made this place a great home away from home. Very nice indeed for our short stay here!