We set out from Wanaka in pouring down rain, aiming for the West Coast. The West Coast is apparently the wettest place in New Zealand, so we were pleasantly suprised to pass over the mountain range and descend into glorious sunshine! The drive up the coast was pretty spectacular, it's the Tasman Sea which is one of the roughest seas in the world, so all along you have massive crashing waves which look amazing. We made a couple of stops on the way, first being Ship Creek Beach, a very isolated beach where a shipwreck washed up 100 years ago, having sunk near Australia and been dragged over by currents. Our second stop was the lookout at Knights Point, gorgeous views of the coast stretching in both directions. After a couple more hours in the car
... read more