Greymouth, West Coast.

West Coast, North of Greymouth

We have arrived on the West Coast of the south island.  The sun is shining as I sit at a large wooden table carved from a single slice of a local tree, the dining table at the Pace’s.  Here in Greymouth, Caleb and I will rest and visit our dear friends, the Heidi and Jonathan Pace.  Rest, hopefully, will revive Caleb, who has been under the weather, battling a cold.

View from the window

Greymouth, located as the name implies at the mouth of the Grey River, is a beautiful, quiet community.  Waves  roll in, crest and reform, I am mesmerized watching them.  It is easy to see why surfers find the West Coast a mecca of untouched beaches with outstanding surf.  It is also known for the jade or "greenstone" that is found in the rivers here. Greenstone, or pounamu, in Maori, is only found on the South Island, which used to be named Te Wahe Pounamu, the place of pounamu.   Nephrite,the most common form of greenstone, is a calcium magnesium silicate with small amounts of iron determine the depth of the green color.   The bowenite form, an iron magnesium silicate, is more unusual, as it is only found at the mouth of Milford Sound.

View from the roadside north of Greymouth,  Snowcapped Alps faintly seen in the distance.

The Maori consider the greenstone "taonga", a cultural treasure. They have harvested and carved it into weapons, tools, and jewelry for centuries. Pounamu has a long history associated with the chiefs of the south island and with peacemaking.  It was traded heavily among the tribes of the North Island as well.  Pounamu contains mana;  status, spirit, strength and power.   Carved, it is" tapu," or sacred.  It was often used to seal agreements and denote peace and harmony between iwi (families/tribes).  All the pounamu carvings  must be given to others to maintain the tradition.  Unfortunately, pounamu  today is a lucrative tourist market.  There are many trinkets that are not hand carved, nor are they made from kiwi jade. 

Just a turnout on the road ... we climbed down to the beach.

We arrived yesterday, after deciding against a trip to Nelson as rain was falling heavily and Caleb's illness precluded rainy hikes or kayak trips in the Abel Tasman.  Instead, we drove south, across Arthur's Pass, crossing the Alps that run north-south, forming a spine down the south island.  We stopped at the view point to take in the lush mountainous bush and visit with Kea.  Kea are the only alpine parrot.  Only about 1000 Kea remain, as habitat loss and human interaction (mostly feeding them inappropriately) have slashed their numbers.  The Kea are mischevioius, smart, and inquisitive.  They are known to pull the rubber off of windshield wipers and doors, steal your car keys, or any food left unattended.  We met a gentleman at the viewpoint who had extensively hiked the Alps and relayed stories of abundant kea and the challenge of leaving one's tent site with kea about!! When we arrived at the car park, five or six kea were entertaining people with their antics.  One rode down out of the car park on the hood of a mini, before taking flight.  Another landed on the roof of our car as I was trying to back up.  Caleb got out to encourage him to fly off, but he only flew to my side view mirror.  I had not seen him, as I was still looking behind, trying to back out.  The bird rapped his beak sharply on the driver's side window as if to command my attention.  He did.  Everyone in the parking area was laughing.

The yellow fronted kea are aging kea...

Kea are have quite good camoflauge.

Today, Caleb and I were able to take a leisurely hike along a trail through subtropical bush along the coast to Point Elizabeth. The sky was cloudless; the surf pounded the beach below us, muffling other sounds.  Small creeks and waterfalls crossed the path.  The West Coast is the wettest of NZ.  Greymouth receives an average of 5m of rain annually, while further south, the tropical rainforest of fiordlands receives 7-12m!!

View from Pt. Elizabeth

Well maintained trail, as are many in NZ

In the midst of my travels, while contemplating what will happen next in my life, I return to the understanding that whether I am at home or on the road, the adventure I seek is within me.  The community I seek relies on my ability to communicate and share with people. To maintain an openness.  To be true to that generosity of spirit I hope to espouse.  The rest is just form and details to which I will attend.  Success of the venture lies within.  So for now, we rest.  Venture on, we will when the time is ripe.

Doing just as we did in Greymouth, Soaked up some sun and warmth, readying to move on.

More views from Pt. Elizabeth