greymouth to nelson
When one thinks of the West Coast, visions of rugged and dramatic hills, acres of
rainforest and spectacular surf spring to mind, but from Greymouth to Westport the
scenery also has an almost tropical appeal with nikau palms sprouting from glistening
white sands and clinging to rocky escarpments. In Punakaiki, a friendly holiday
town made famous by its stunning pancake rocks, salty spray flies from blowholes,
while nearby Westport, a town often overlooked, provides many unique activities
for the intrepid traveller. Inland, avid anglers have the opportunity to try their
luck on the internationally renowned waters of the Murchison / Nelson Lakes region,
where some of the best flyfishing in NZ can be found on Lake Rotoroa, Lake Rotoiti,
and up the Travers, D’Urville and Sabine Rivers. We spend three days driving the
scenic route from Greymouth to Nelson. We visit a world renowned pounamu (jade)
sculptor, admire Punakaiki’s pancake rocks, ride rapids aboard jet skis in Westport,
enjoy indigenous cuisine, join a thrilling whitewater rafting expedition down the
mighty Buller River, and angle for elusive brown trout!
day two: westport to murchison
Key
- Destinations
- Apex Locations
In the morning the feasting continues with a hearty breakfast in town before we
visit Coaltown, a museum that brings Westport’s history alive through its sawmilling,
gold and coal mining, and shipping displays. We spend an hour looking around and
then leave town on SH6 following the Buller River inland to Inangahua Junction,
then on through the Upper Buller Gorge Scenic Reserve to Newton Flat where, shortly
after, we stop at the 110 metre long swingbridge over the raging Buller Gorge. We
enjoy a latté then cross the wobbling bridge to the other side, where we decide
to ride the comet line, a 160 metre long flying fox, back across the river. It’s
a blast; but Bob’s slightly vertiginous, and yells all the way!
After a lunch of egg and cucumber sandwiches in nearby Murchison, a small town that
offers a range of high adrenaline activities – most of which centre on or around
the river – we don wetsuits at Ultimate Descents and join a whitewater rafting tour.
Bob’s a little hesitant, he’s not sure what to expect, but after we board our raft
and receive expert instruction from Dean, our whitewater rafting guide, he begins
to visibly relax.
The first stretch of river is tame - great for first-timers. I slip into a quiet
reverie as our raft drifts along the Buller’s crystal clear waters; a kaleidoscope
of colours reflect from the surrounding hills onto the river’s glassy surface and
beneath lies a riverbed of perfectly polished pebbles. “F-O-R-WARD!” Dean’s bellowed
commands suddenly shatter the silence. “LEFT! RIGHT! F-O-R-W-A-R-D!” Bob shoots
me a horrified look as our raft gathers momentum, sweeps around a bend, and we come
face to face with a tumbling tower of bottle-green waves and foaming white wash.
For a precarious moment we perch at the crest of the towering wall, then we’re at
right angles descending into the roaring foam...
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Greymouth to Nelson scenic drive, courtesy of apex car rentals new zealand...
the kiwi way
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north island scenic drives
south island scenic drives
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