Pancake Rocks

We arose early on Tuesday morning to go to see Pancake Rocks.  It is nice to be there at high tide.  However, because of the direction of the current the blowholes weren't as high.

This blowhole can reach as high as the rocks if the conditions are right.

Pancake Rocks is so named because of the rock formations looking like a stack of pancakes.  

This is a cavern which is just north of the town and an entrance on the left goes further back.

August 14, 2012

Punakaiki

 This is another view of the scenery as we travelled from Greymouth to Punakaiki.

Punakaiki Resort is where we stayed overnight and it is located right next to the beach and a short distance from Pancake Rocks.

Our rooms were on the end and we entered from the rear of the building.

After check in we still had time to hike two of the hikes nearby.  This was the Pororari River hike.

There is a gate so that only hikers are on the trail and not bicycles or motor bikes.

As we hiked along we felt that something was watching us but it was only a ceramic frog.

After that hike which went along the river we took the Truman Hike which takes you down to the ocean.  It was beautiful because it was at the end of the day and it was beginning to be high tide and the sun was slowly going down.

As the tide gets higher it beats against the rocks with such force that it creates huge water formations.

It was a beautiful sunset and an end to a beautiful day.

August 13, 2012

August 13, 2012

 On Monday morning we arose early and took a free shuttle from our motel to the train station to catch the TransAlpine Train to Greymouth.  It was still raining but we were assured that after we crossed the mountain and got on the western side that we would have sunshine. Luckily they were right.

 The train goes through 15 tunnels and has magnificent views of the gorges and crosses over what is called the Southern Alps.

 The train trip took approximately 5 hours and stopped at Arthur's Pass and had a short stop so that passengers could leave the train for a moment for pictures.

 In Greymouth we picked up our rental car for our trip north to Punakaiki.

Heather is looking for shells to take home to Brooklyn, James and Miles.

We followed the coastline and so this is one of the pictures next to the Tasman Sea.

August 13, 2012

August 12, 2012

 On Sunday we went to church in the morning and then boarded a Jet Star plane to go from Wellington to Christchurch.  The forecast called for rain all through the week and they were correct for Sunday.  It was raining when we arrived in Christchurch and continually increased until by night we all needed canoes to transverse the streets.  We didn't have a car so it was quite an adventure.

 While walking to the center of town we passed the archives in Christchurch.  There was two sister missionaries (Sister Chelius and Sister Nation) who worked there also filming probate records.

 In 2011 there was a major earthquake in Christchurch and now the center of town looks like a war zone and is blocked off and referred to as the red zone.  This was a famous cathedral in which it was debated whether the town should try to save it or demolish it.  The cost was too great for renovation so it is now being demolished.

 Outside of the red zone there has now been built a Recycle Mall (also referred to as a Pop Up Mall) where they have brought in storage containers and have erected stores so that business can go on as usual.

 They are very creative in their use of the containers and it was amazing to see these next to the destruction in the red zone.

April 12, 2012