we head to the great outdoors

so ever onward- - - we leave Reefton after lunch and go to the coast- that would be the wild west coast of the South Island- to Cape Foul Wind- LOL

by now, city dwellers that we are- Phil and I have both had enough of "nature" and do the hike backward from the car park (where the group was supposed to be picked up) and see the seals but let the others trek over hill and over dale for the whole several miles experience-

 

our next "nature" stop - just a scenic overlook- but a superb viewpoint!

then on to the pancake rocks:

this palm looked like it was giving birth to something like the ALIEN from the movie-

a bird from the car park- who knows what kind...maybe Mike can tell us- or if any other reader can identify it just answer in the comments- I will edit to include once I know-

after we return to town we ask to be dropped off in the "town" itself and have dinner at Jones Grill... food OK but we did try the whitebait fritter (kind of an omelet with whitebait)

Above the whitebait fritter- what exactly is whitebait?

Whitebait is a collective term for the immature fry of fish, typically between 25 and 50 millimeters long - per Wikipedia...
The word whitebait does not refer to a single species. It is a general term used in many countries to describe small freshwater fish that are tender and edible. (source: www.teara.govt.nz)

then below-I took this photo because it looked like the sign painter got tired - LOL



We then took a quite pricey cab ride back to the less than lovely Ashley Hotel (not really actually in Greymouth, despite the itinerary) where we ready ourselves for the next leg of the journey-  LOL I know it will surprise you to hear that tomorrow morning starts out with ---- you guessed it--- A HIKE!

more Reefton and a way cool train

so we head back into Reefton where we re-meet our guide from the Bearded Mining Co. and do a short tour of the "city"- including the tourist center exhibit on mining...

we also get to spend a small amount of time walking around Main St. and then we meet back at the corner to go to lunch-

an early public works project a public pool - the river was too polluted to swim in...

and an unusal train locomotive on display in the town park:

 

town views:

we have lunch here in the odd fellows hall (including some strange pizza with fruit on it) - sandwiches and salads

then TB and I race back to the tourism center gift shop to buy (at Darryl's urging) socks with possum fur (TB) and gloves with possum fur (VS) so we can do our part in the patriotic process of ridding NZ of the possum scourge!

meanwhile they also had these tea towels on offer there at the tourist info place- both excellent - but I still managed to pass on them-

so we say good bye to Reefton and our morning of mining related touring-  and head on to the coast for some of Mike's favorite - outdoor hiking!