From Nelson Creek we head back to the West Coast and to Punakaiki where we visited the pancake rocks earlier on our trip. This time we stop here to have a look at the caves on the other side of the road.
At the caves you can go for a short walk into the cave system as long as you are equipped with a good torch. Ours were a little inadequate for the job but we managed to venture quite a way in. Rob was feeling a touch nervous, he was probably thinking about earthquakes.
About 5 kilometres further along the road is the start of the Truman Track, a short walk down through the rain forest to a lovely beach which has a waterfall dropping of the cliff onto the beach. We are a little late getting here as far as the tide is concerned and cannot reach the waterfall as the waves are pounding in at an alarming rate.
We carried on up to Westport and then continued onto a new road for us, the Karamea Highway. This highway goes northwards and eventually terminates at the Heapy Track
The road gets quieter the further north you go. We pass through Summerlea,
and find a stopover on the beach at Little Wanganui. The site is at the river estuary and the dirt road leading to it had been severely damaged by river erosion causing half the road to slip down the river bank.
Needless to say we spent the night on our own with only the odd fisherman for company.
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