Bit frustrating

I don't know why, but blogger has just been unavailable to me for the last week.  Was a little frustrating as I have some wonderful photos of our West Coast holiday.  "The Boss" and I packed our bags and headed over Lewis Pass to spend the night in Hokitika.  The roads were the quietest I've ever experienced on that drive, so just wonder how many people are cancelling trips to NZ.  We were disappointed to see that "The King's Speech"  had already started at the local movies there.  I was going to go to see it in February, and we haven't been to the Movies since before the Chch September quake.  But half an hour in was too much to bother.
From "Hoki" we went to Haast, checked into the Motel, then went down to Jackson's Bay, and over the track to look down into the Cascade Valley.  Next day, pottered our way back up to Hoki, with stops to see the Glaciers - Fox and Franz Josef.  It was a sunny day so had to make the most of it.  We found a quieter motel  than the first night, and the following day it was off home via Arthurs Pass.  The last day was the only one where we encounted any real traffic to speak of.  So it was a pleasant little break, and came home to find No 3 had raked up all the leaves off the lawn, so that's one horrible job I don't have to do - although we've had galeforce winds since then, so they probably would've disappeared.



Bruce Bay, South Westland




Looking down the Cascade Valley, the Tasman Sea is in the distance




Jackson Bay Wharf.  In the mid1860's immigrants from several nations were dropped in this Bay (no wharf then) amidst the Bush to start farming.  It was not successful as it was so isolated.  There was terrible hardship and the settlement was abandoned, apart from a few hardy families who shifted out of the Bay some distance, and managed to clear enough land to raise Horned Hereford cattle.  These then had to be driven (walked) up the coast where they could, or though rough tracks in the bush up to the towns further up the West Coast to be sold.
These days it is a thriving fishing village, as the Bay is very sheltered compared to most on the Coast.



Fox Glacier



Franz Josef Glacier




Fox Glacier Neve




Lake Paringa, Podocarp forest




Middle Earth Country - imagine trying to get cattle through these places without tracks.




Real rainforest - in most places in Westland the rainfall is measured in feet not inches, we were lucky to have good days.

 The job when we got home was getting the Boys (Rams) out with the Ewes, and they were well and truly ready to get into making next seasons lambs.