Top of the West Coast

view from bus at Cape Foulwind

near the seal colony

seal family (cute!)

Malcolm decides where to go next

 

walk to the lighthouse at Cape Foulwind

Malcolm on track

at the bottom of the Denniston Incline

classic shots of the wagons ready to go over the incline

on the roads at the back of the Denniston Plateau

 

We left Murchison in the rain, even so the drive through the Buller Gorge was amazing - a few places where it is one direction at a time (traffic lights) as the road goes along under overhanging cliffs.  When we got to the coast the sun returned.  We freedom camped (in exchange for buying lunch at the pub - friendly place, chatted to the publican and 2 locals - only the 5 of us there) on some land belonging to the pub on Lighthouse Road at Cape Foulwind.

There is a walkway along the coast but we just walked a bit of it by the lighthouse, then drove round to the other end where the seal colony is, and walked a bit of that part.

Heading north the next day, we went to the Denniston Plateau, famous (in NZ) for the Denniston Incline which is where the coal wagons went over the cliff edge and down a steep mountains to the bottom.  The early settlers came up in the wagons too - scaring some women so much they never left the plateau.  Malcolm was there in the late 60's when you could still go in some of the buildings, it was like a ghost town.  Now there are only 2 or 3 houses lived in, of the town there is little trace.  There are relics of the mine workings and the incline and some very new signage and a viewing platform looking out over the incline, down to the coast.

We also drove further inland where there used to be other mines and settlements, now mainly rocks and lakes.  Next night's stop, another pub, this one at Seddonville.