Rapahoe > Westport (96km, 6h05)

Today I’m going to visit the Pancakes, then I will move toward Westport. I want to be close to the city centre tomorrow. Westport is the second biggest city of the West coast after Greymouth.

Map.

Level.

I had a good night but I wasn’t in a good place as expected. I camped beside a track where it’s normally forbidden. But I didn’t find anything else yesterday night. This track is also available at night for cyclists. At exactly 5:53am a light was pointed onto my tent and then some bicycle passed me… Anybody stopped, Fiou! So this morning I woke up early (7:00am) to avoid any problem with a ranger or anybody else. It’s now 8:04am and I’m ready to ride :-)

The sun is slowly reaching the rocks over there.

It’s not as dark as the picture shows but the sun is just behind that mountain and feels powerful already.

That’s a good place to see what’s happening around :-)

Aaah, a creative letter box again. People of South island are not as creative as North island people I think. But there is exceptions :-)

It’s much better to take pictures behind me otherwise I have the sun in my face.

I’m getting close to the pancakes apparently.

Pancakes are rock formations created by nature “using” the erosion process :-)

The vegetation around the place is wonderful!

Punakaiki, Pancake rocks, Blowholes.

The first view is good but the pancakes are not clearly visible yet.

The adventurers’ path ;-)

Ah, this lookout is much better!

Here, that’s a pancake rock :-) It is like there are pancakes stack on each other. I start to feel hungry now!

There are all around now.

Ah, different shape there.

Oooh :-)

:-)

One more.

They are more visible on the left part.

These are nice stairs :-)

The blowholes! It’s better to see and hear that blowhole during high tide but I should wait two hours and a half and I don’t want to take that time.

For Maoris, those rocks represent face shapes.

That’s my next direction!

Blowholes Video!

I feel like I’m in Jurassic park now.

The vegetation is growing everywhere. It’s so dense!

OK, too much landscape today but I don’t like taking pictures of me. Just one :-)

Roh! The road is nice from here. A long downhill :-)

So green!

Very nice!

Just nature.

The old bridge.

The new one. Not the same style…

I think it’s my last hill for today. I wanted to stop before Westport but finally I will go in the city centre. I should arrive around 4 pm so I will have time to go to a cycle shop. I’m going to spend more money for my bike again…

That’s Westport there :-)

And the main street.

Yep, I’ve spend 60$ more but this time I have a tool to verify my chain. So I will know when I must change it. That’s better than changing the drive train again!

I won’t see the sunset this evening as well because there is a big layer of clouds sticking on the horizon.

But it’s OK like this :-)

The port :-)

I’m now at the end of the main street. I’m having a tour around to find a good place for tonight.

Oh!

Romilly street! It’s so strange because, this afternoon I’ve seen that street but thought it was my imagination. But no, it’s real! And fun!

I’ve followed a panel with “beach” and now I’m on a wharf…

Yep, no sunset.

I’m cleaning my chain front of this cool landscape ;-)

The airport is on the right side. I would like to camp onto the left side but I don’t know if it’s a good idea.

Nice colours :-) let’s find my place now, it’s getting dark. Good night!

2 thoughts on “Rapahoe > Westport (96km, 6h05)

  1. Chouette, une nouvelle boite à lettres pour ma collection. Ça me manquait !

    J’ai pas tout compris ton histoire de vélo. Tu as changé une partie du vélo, ou tu en as racheté un entier ?

  2. Salut Damien,

    Je viens de faire un tour sur ton blog. Tout à l’air de toujours bien se passer et les photos me rappellent plein de bon souvenirs ! C’est cool !Profite bien de ces dernières semaines avant ton départ pour l’australie !
    A++

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