Travelogue

Hokitika driftwood welcomeWhenever I travel to a new place, I enjoy reading a novel that takes place there.

When we went to Iceland, I read “Independent People" by Halldór Laxness about the struggles of poor Icelandic farmers in the early 20th century.

For my trip to New Zealand, I brought along “The Luminaries” by Eleanor Catton, a complex mystery set in Hokitika during the 1866 gold rush.

Off to feed the eelsIt kind of makes me feel more connected to the place.

We wouldn’t be getting all the way into the town of Hokitika tonight, but rather just on the southern side of the Hokitika River in a little campground called Links View Holiday Park.

Unlike the large Top 10 Holiday Parks we had been staying in so far, this was a small campground run by one very friendly host. When we pulled into the campground, he came out to greet us and spent a good half hour talking to us about the craziness of politics in the United States.

Giant longfin eelOnce he got that out of his system, he took us inside a very cozy sitting room and kitchenette and showed us the eggs, beer, and wine we could purchase from his refrigerator.

He was very ready to continue talking to us all night, but we channeled his energy into telling us where we could get good fish and chips in town tomorrow (Hokitika is known for its fish and chips) and where we could park our campervan.

After providing that information, he told us that we should really take the short walk down to the river to see and feed the giant longfin eels. Oh cool. We told him that we had seen these in the Avon River in Christchurch, but he informed us that these eels were much bigger.

Turquoise blue waters of Hokitika GorgeHe suggested we bring some bread and then further added that one almost took the skin off his granddaughter’s finger. Great. Sounded like fun.

I went down first to see if there were any eels hanging around. Oh boy! I immediately went back and told Herb he had to see this. They were pretty big and more plentiful than what we had seen in Christchurch.

We threw some bread, took some photos, and returned to the campervan for dinner, all 20 fingers intact.

Turquoise blue waters of Hokitika GorgeThe next morning before heading into town, we drove south about 18 miles through lovely farmland to the parking area for the very popular Hokitika Gorge hike, known for its incredibly vibrant turquoise blue water.

The hike used to be a 1.3-mile loop with two suspension bridges, but in October 2013, the lower suspension bridge was closed due to safety concerns about its structural integrity.

So today, it is a 2-mile out-and-back, the best direction being clockwise, to a rocky outcrop protruding out into the gorge, with the best view of its brilliant blue waters.

Hokitika GorgeTo get down to the rocks we went through a gate with a warning sign about the dangers of swimming and slippery rocks, and then did a bit of rock scrambling to reach the very end of the outcrop.

It’s a great spot to both take a photo and be in a photo, but we weren’t the only ones with this idea in mind, so we politely waited our turn.

We’ve seen a lot of beautiful turquoise blue lakes and rivers this trip, but this and Lake Pukaki were by far the most vibrant.

Hokitika GorgeAnd to think it was all the result of sunlight hitting “glacial flour,” which are finely ground rock particles created by the grinding action of glaciers.

There is not one single glacier that “flours” the Hokitika Gorge. Rather, the “flour” is carried by meltwater from several glaciers in the surrounding Alps, which feed numerous streams, which in turn feed the Hokitika River, which flows through this beautiful gorge.

Shipwreck MemorialThe particles get suspended in the water and reflect the sunlight. Fortunately, we had plenty of sunlight today, so we were seeing it at its best.

It was a great hike with a lot of bang for the buck.

Now, it was on to the town of Hokitika, known for having the best fish and chips on the South Island.

Hokitika Driftwood ArtWe parked at Sunset Point, where the Hokitika River flows out into the Tasman Sea. This was a very dangerous port during the 1860s Gold Rush, with more than 42 ships wrecked trying to cross the Hokitika River’s shifting sandbar.

A plaque memorializing these wrecks stood next to a reconstruction of the schooner Tambo, which was wrecked on this Bar on November 12, 1866.

Hokitika Driftwood ArtThe history of shipwrecks in Hokitika is deeply intertwined with the town's origins as a bustling gold rush port.

This was all very exciting for me to see in person, because I was still deep in my novel, The Luminaries, which is about Hokitika during the gold rush - shipwrecks and all.

couldn’t wait to walk up Revell Street where the whorehouses and the bars where the diggers hung out used to be.

Hokitika Driftwood ArtFrom the Shipwreck Memorial we walked out onto Hokitika Beach, known for its driftwood art. The beaches around Hokitika naturally accumulate large amounts of driftwood providing lots of raw materials for driftwood artists.

Every end of January, Hokitika holds a week long Driftwood and Sand Festival where artists and members of the public create sculptures and art pieces using driftwood and other materials found on the beach.

Hokitika Driftwood ArtMuch of the festival works remained, so we had a great time strolling up the beach, admiring the many unique and imaginative creations.

At the end of the beach, we came to a HOKITIKA sign made of driftwood, not far from Stumper’s Bar and Cafe, where we planned to have lunch.

Although they didn’t call it fish and chips, we had a delicious beer battered grilled fish fillet and fries - our definition of fish and chips. It was delicious.

Lunch at Stumper'sHerb surprised me with a large mochaccino. Now that’s a man that knows my three great loves - coffee, chocolate, and a man that brings me one.

Hokitika had certainly delivered - giant eels, a beautiful hike to Hokitika Gorge, driftwood art alongside the Tasman Sea, and a delicious fish and chips lunch.

Time to move on though. Tonight Pancake Rocks and Punakaiki Beach.

I was feeling pretty smug as to how efficiently we were covering a lot of ground and seeing and doing everything we had hoped to accomplish.