Grey old Greymouth!

Monday 26 January

Auckland Anniversary up north so Russ got the day off! We left Gumboot Paradise in the rain, drove down the coast in the rain and set up at Nelson Quay freedom camp… you’ve guessed it… in the rain!

However an hour or so later the clouds parted and we got intermittent sunshine for the remainder of the day.

After lunch Nickie & Russ spent an hour or two at the Māwhera Pa, Pounamu Pathway exhibition while I did the laundry and Louis decided to cycle a section of the West Coast Wilderness Trail.

We met him at Serpentine Beach where we’d gone to look for pounamu (none for me, but Nickie found some and swapped some with another fossicker) then we zipped home with Louis’ bike on the rack, via a drive on the Taramakau riverbed and Gloria of Greymouth (a fabulous deconsecrated chapel painted pink and purple and home to some awesomely kitsch decor and artwork)!

Got back to find a gazillion camper vans parked up on the Quay, and during dinner one squeezed in so close to Banjo they could hardly open their doors… so much for the NZMCA 3metre rule!!! Had a very funny group WhatsApp call with the Tomkinsons in Timaru and the Fernandi in the caravan next door before falling into bed and hoping our neighbours did not snore too loudly!