West Coast Wilderness Trail/Pancake Rocks

This morning I got up early and rode a rental bike about 80 miles round trip going South of Greymouth and then back again. The bike ride was a bit disappointing in that for most of the ride I was riding in bush that blocked views of the lakes, mountains and coast. I still enjoyed the ride and it was a good workout. There was an old, long, single lane bridge that carried cars, trucks, trains and bikes.

After taking a shower and eating some lunch I then took a ride in a car up to Pancake Rocks. The coast North of Greymouth has great rock formations and dense native vegetation that looks like it should be Jurasic times. The fern trees and palm trees mixed with the dense lower foliage and huge trees mixed in here and there make an awesome forest that would be almost impossible to walk through without a cut trail.

I enjoyed the afternoon. We watched and waited for blowholes to blow their tops and walked down trails for a short ways learning about the native plants and animals. My guide was a nice guy and knew his stuff. He was from Australia not New Zealand but he loves it here so has made it his mission to learn all he can about the place. Next year he plans on walking from the tip of North Island to the tip of South Island traversing the entire country on foot. I would love to be able to do that.

a few pics from the day