New Zealand: South Island - Picton to Greymouth

From Picton, where the ferry docked, we drove straight on to Nelson.  We took the scenic Queen Charlotte Drive and had some gorgeous views of the Queen Charlotte Sound, Pelorus Sound, and various bays.  As we headed inland, we were greeted with rolling hills and farmland.  We did not expect much from Nelson but found it to be a nice, quaint town.  The hostel owner definitely qualifies as the friendliest owner (and possibly friendliest person) we've met on our trip to date.  He never stopped smiling, was really happy to chat, and swore I'd stayed there before.  Nelson claims the geographic center of New Zealand, which is on the top of a hill in the Botanic Gardens.

Gorgeous View from Queen Charlotte Drive

Nelson's South Street - The oldest preserved street in New Zealand.  Cottages dating from 1863.

Me standing at the geographic center of New Zealand.

View from the Center of New Zealand

After one night in Nelson, we moved on to Greymouth.  The best part about Greymouth was getting there.  We made two stops along the way (in addition to several stops for pictures).  The first was at Buller Gorge in Murchison to cross the longest swing bridge in New Zealand.  For $5 NZ we walked across the bridge then followed the path on the other side of the river for a fifteen minute walk that took us past the White Creek Faultline of 1929, where a 7.8 earthquake created a 4.5 meter high cliff face.

Me crossing the Buller Gorge Bridge

Once we again reached the Tasman Sea, the views were spectacular, even on a cloudy day.  We stopped several times just for pictures.

Our last stop before reaching Greymouth was at the Pancake Rocks in Punakaiki.  The Pancake Rocks consist of an area of eroded limstone on the Tasman Sea.  The layering of the limestone gives the rocks their name.

Simon at the Pancake Rocks

Greymouth itself was, well, grey, and there was really nothing of interest to us there.  The hostel though was probably the most unique one that we stayed at.  Noah's Ark, a converted monastery, had animal themed rooms and various animal paintings throughout, even in the bathrooms.  We slept in the "giraffe" room.