West coast roadtrip!

I've been looking forward to this. Road trip to the wild, west coast of the south island with friends Alaric, Celine, Gaya, and Ellen - all lovely people. Alaric is a good mate from the Centre for Sustainability and a fellow photographer. His girlfriend Celine and "the girls" are all awesome marine science ladies. The girls are doing the Buller Gorge Marathon up near Westport and Alaric and I are just there for support and to enjoy the area.

The roadtrip out was full of fun and anticipation. Old 80's soundtrack from the Save Mart. Jetplane lollies. Strong coffee and lots of jokes. North along the east coast turning west near Christchurch eventually we climbed over Arthur's Pass. On the way up we stopped at this beautiful place, aptly named the Castle Rocks. Yippee! Soon after we almost ran out of petrol, and later still we got bombarded by a gang of cheeky keas at a rest stop - curious, comical alpine parrots. When they started trying to rip the windshield wipers out we hightailed it...

West of the Southern Alps the land changes. It's get greener, lusher, less people, more feral and wild, rural and original. The summer air was intoxicating with the windows wide open. Tree ferns and bright red flowers line ditches hiding foraging pukekos and wekas. Soon we made the Tasman Sea coast. We were just in time for sunset fish and chips on a driftwood strewn beach. And after picking up groceries we continued on winding northward up the coast under the brightest of starry nights skies.

And so, almost 13 hours later, we arrived at Gentle Annies - a beautiful old farm on the Tasman turned funky, alternative cottage with a cowshed cafe. It is almost at the literal end of the road, but it could as easily be the end of the world.