Blogs from Hokitika, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania

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Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Hokitika February 2nd 2022

Driftwood and Sand based in Hokitika began as a community beach sculpture event in November 2002. It was conceived by a local artist who saw the driftwood-strewn beach as a fabulous creative opportunity, offering the raw materials and the inspiration for a community art celebration - a sculpture competition with a difference. Every year he is commissioned to build a large “signature piece” to inspire other artists. Anyone who wishes to register a sculpture may take part. You can vote for your favourite artistic creation. We saw so many that had been created by children as well more experienced artists. Snail, Loch Ness Monster, Meatloaf tribute, Hugh Jump, Sharks Fin, several animals but I particularly liked the Sea Glass design and the Spheres. Always good fun when Patrick’s family come along on the tour. url=https://www.heygo.com/patrick-mcbride?utm_sourc... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Hokitika October 21st 2018

Hokitika is a cute little artsy town, near an amazing blue gorge colored by water from glaciers. Both were fantastic...it's still hard to believe that water color is real!... read more
Road to Hokitika (one of many many deer farms)
Hokitika - apparently once a year they have a contest to build the best sculpture out of driftwood
Rainforest near Hokitika

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Hokitika March 16th 2018

Day 19: Kumara to Hokotika via Cowboy Paradise 70km. The Donkey tries mindfulness When the Donkey got up the next morning Headwind and Rain were waiting outside the sliding doors of the motel unit where the Donkey stayed. They were furious about what the Donkey had done the previous day. They lashed at the windows and bounced and twisted as they burst with anger and energy. Come out the Donkey, they jeered, and play with us, come and get on your bike. But the Donkey just stood there, considering his next move. He thought he let them rant and rave for a while. He was not in a hurry as he had already done 30km of today’s route yesterday so he could afford to start a bit later. Sooner or later Headwind and Rain would run ... read more
Mmmm, which way is the right way
Kapitea Reservoir
View from Cowboy Paradise

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Hokitika April 8th 2017

The drive to Christchurch couldn't be done quick enough! I got to see Julian and Jem again basically a year to the day! I was so excited!!! Before we met them we had a quick pop into Christchurch to do a little sight seeing- we didn't do to much as we knew we would be back here before we fly to Australia. We saw the scars still left on the landscape from the earthquake six years ago, as well as some of the newer ones. Next stop was the pub for a well deserved catch up and a beer! It was so good to see everyone and makes me miss them even more! When we got home Julian wanted to hear schnitzels death rattle for himself and took her out for a spin! In agreement it ... read more
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Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Hokitika May 30th 2016

30 mai: Direction Hokitika, la ville de Jade ! (Environ 1h45 de voiture). La route était principalement de la forêt mais avec un grand soleil c'était tout de même beau. Hokitika est un village assez sympathique. On a marché un peu sur la plage, on peut si on cherche bien et si on est chanceux trouver des pierres de jade. Mais apparemment il n'y en a plus beaucoup dans la région et 80% de ce qui se vend en magasin vient du Canada. J'ai as trouvé de jade mais d'autres beaux cailloux donc ca me va ! Ensuite je suis allée à un cours de sculpture sur jade. C'était vraiment bien ! L'instructeur était gentil. Il m'a fait commencé par sélectionner un bout de jade et essayer de voir ce que j'allais ene (collier, porte clés. ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Hokitika March 13th 2014

Monday 10th March - revisited Hokitika to see the driftwood sculptures on the beach. We had just missed the Wild Food Festival but stopped for a flat white coffee and the best muffins ever (plum & stem ginger). Went on to see the Gorge, same gorgeous aqua blue water complete with Salmon this time. Back on the road for our DOC site for the night next to another lake. Lots of youngsters doing very basic camping i.e. Cooking over an open fire or no cooking at all - ended up providing hot coffee for them all! Tuesday 11th - early start on a grey and misty morning with over 300km to drive to Wanaka but this isn't a problem on these empty roads - the only difficulty is the mountains and the hairpin bends. Still had ... read more
Modern Art on Bruce Bay
Granny on the quad
Clouds lifting over the Haast Pass

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Hokitika November 22nd 2013

Friday November 22nd, 2013. Arthur's Pass to Franz Josef Glacier, South Island, New Zealand We woke and D cooked poached eggs on toast for breakfast using the 50 cent eggs from the top of the fridge with the loyalty jar. We then finished the Arthur's Pass Historic Walk that we started yesterday. We walked back to Avalanche Creek passing the Outdoor Education Centre which used to be the old Otira Schoolhouse and latterly a Guest House before becoming the centre today used by school groups. The next stop was the Otira rail tunnel. The tunnel is 8.5 km long and is on a gradient down to Otira of 1 in 33, a fall of 278m. It was drilled from both sides, the first shot being fired from the Otira end in 1908. When the two headings ... read more
14. The Otira Viaduct from Deaths Corner Overlook
35. D at Picnic at Lake Kaniere
44. M at Dorothy Falls

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Hokitika April 13th 2013

Saturday, 13th April - Day Ten: Franz Josef to Westport 281km (169 miles) continuing up Hwy 6 along the Tasman Sea coastline where vast and muddy deltas head out to the Tasman Sea, past Hokitika, the “Jade Capital of the World” and a delightful tourist town with Opossum and Pauna shops (known elsewhere as abalone shell). This is also dairy country where a high percentage of dried milk product goes to China. Shantytown Heritage Park Howard and I were the only couple to stop at Shantytown, where we had a delightful short rail trip on an old 1887 steam train, which used to serve one of the old sawmills during the gold mining era. More rivers, creeks, narrow bridges and several scenic reserves, a few town with wide streets. ... read more
made from driftwood
Howard and Mel sitting on unusual seats
what to buy in Hokitika?

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Hokitika November 18th 2012

Another 4 hour drive which took us along the west coast past 2 glaciers and Mount Cook. We didn't see any of it as the rain came down like stair rods all the way. It was fine the following morning but we had no time to return so we continued our journey north to Westport. On the way we stopped at Punakaiki which is famous for the pancake rocks, so called because they look like stacked up versions. They were formed 350 million years ago by a build up of marine fossils and subsequent erosion has exposed them in their current state. The incoming tide combined with a large swell from the Tasman Sea crates a spectacular sight as the sea explodes through the blowholes in the rock formation.... read more
Pancake rocks
There she blows
Raw power

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Hokitika November 13th 2012

We booked into a hostel in Hokitika called the singing bird the other night & were the only lodgers which was pretty eerie, not even the owners were staying there but it did give me a good idea for a movie. Went to see the glow worms that night, as I was already a bit freaked from the the hostel situation, standing in the dark waiting for worms to light up made me a bit more on edge. Still alive the following morning we headed off to Hokitika Gorge. We had to walk across a swinging bridge which was pretty cool. The sand flies attacked D and we had to leave. On our way to Franz Joseph we stopped off to do some gold panning. We had illusions that we were going to find some gold ... read more




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