From Christchurch, on the East Coast we drove over Arthur's Pass, 737m above sea level, to the West Coast. The journey across the Pass was amazing, so many incredible views through breathtaking countryside. In the Summer it is easy to forget how formidable it must be to live in an area which can be so quickly transformed by the weather. We stayed in Arthur's Pass YH which was newly built and very nice. Having dropped off our bags, we carried on to Punakaiki on the coast to see Pancake Rocks. As the name implies the rocks have the appearance of a pile of pancakes but at high tide the waves come crashing in and spurt out of holes in the rock. It was a long journey but well worth it! On Weds we drove south to
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