We have a reservation for 11:00 AM a short way down the road so we didn't have to get a real early start . We left the campsite shortly after ten and headed west on Hwy 6 until we came to The Buller Gorge Swing Bridge Adventure Park. The Buller River flows through the deep canyon between Murchinson and Westport with the Gorge being closer to Murchinson. As you get further west the canyon spreads out into more of a valley. We are here to go jet boating.
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| Away we go. |
However, in order to get to the jet boats you have to cross the longest swing bridge in New Zealand. It was around 150 meters or 500 yards long.
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| Here she comes. |
Once we were safely across we headed down to the wharf to get ready for some excitement. We donned life preservers and hopped in the boat and away we went. It was pretty nice, Allan (our driver) did a bunch of spins, ran some rapids, did some more spins and in general just tried to scare us. Little did he know that Kathy can't be frightened. Oh yeah, the scenery was pretty nice as well.
There was still one more adventure to be had, Kathy was going to be Supawoman and ride the Comet Line. The advertisement for the ride read as follows:
" The adrenaline seeker will love the ‘Supaman’ ride, which involves launching into the air for a harnessed flight, without the security of a seat."
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| The Start |
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| Get Set |
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| And Away we Go |
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| Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee |
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| Look at me, I'm flying |
The pictures tell the story, she had a blast. Unfortunately we were out of time and had to push on so I didn't get to go. Maybe next time.
A short way down the road we stopped for lunch at a road side picnic area. It gave us a final view of the Gorge before dropping down into the valley.
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| Buller River |
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| Buller River |
The rest of the drive to Westport was quite nice as we followed the river almost the entire way. Of course we had to stop and take a few pictures.
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| Oops, yes that is a car down there. |
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| Tight Fit |
We arrived at the west coast as we came to Westport. Westport is a small town located at the mouth of the Buller River and is supported mainly by mining, fishing and dairy farming. Tourism does play a part in the economy as after all, it did bring us here. We headed for the I Site and there we met a very helpful young lady by the name of Rona. She couldn’t have been nicer as she helped us plan our stay in the area. She was also able to point us in the right direction for a couple of nice hikes. She is a nice lady and we wish her well.
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| Thanks Rona |
We left Westport and headed north to Kahurangi National Park where we stayed for the night. The first part of the drive was pretty tame as it stayed close to the coast with the mountains not far away. The second half changed as we turned inland to climb and cross the Karamea Bluff. It was a long drive with all the cornering and shifting of gears but the view was worth it.
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| View From Karamea Bluff |
We hit Karamea and kept going until we came to Kahurangi National Park. The park is located at the mouth of the Kohaihai River and the Tasman Sea.
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| Mouth of Kohaihai River |
The surrounding mountains gave the park a look and feel of isolation. It was shortly after dinner that we went for a walk on the beach and had a chance to experience it for ourselves.
It gave one a very solitary but somewhat eerie feeling when looking back and realizing there is no one else there. All you can see are your own footprints.
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| Footprints in the Sand |
After following our footprints back to the campsite so we wouldn’t get lost, we just relaxed and watched the day fade away. Another superb day in New Zealand.
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