Day 30 of TA - Rock Polishing!!

Friday 7th November
Distance:  97 km
Elevation gain:  523 metres
From Ikamatua to Greymouth and Hokitika
About 7.5 hrs elapsed from 7:00am to 2:30pm.

The early starts are the new normal.  Alarm at 5:30 and rolling from 7am.  Today in Ikamatua we had to use the shared camp kitchen for breakfast so there was a bit more mucking around to get going as you shuttle gear / food from the kitchen and back to our room.  All that is to say we were rushing to get going but it still takes time.

The first leg was 54 km on backroads to Greymouth on the West Coast.  It was cold in the morning, but we beat the traffic and had a quiet run all the way.  There were a few climbs but it was mostly downhill.  
We made it to Greymouth by 10am and it was time for a second breakfast.   Lessons were learned (and remembered) from the overeating binge in Reefton and we restrained ourselves.  I only had a sausage roll and cream donut.  

Part of the ride in Greymouth was out to the rockwall breakwater beside the river and ocean.  The smell of the ocean spray as the surf crashed on the beach and rockwall made me happy, and homesick.  I love the ocean and after a week in the high country it really lifted my spirits to see, hear and smell the ocean. 

The second leg was a 20 km cycle trail, part of the West Coast Wilderness Trail. It was a gravel path along the coastline and was sheltered from the wind so for the first time in a long time I was genuinely hot.  It was hard going on the gravel, even though it was relatively flat. 

We arrived at the Kumara Junction and decided to deviate from the TA route - it was a 60 km journey along the West Coast Wilderness Trail into the hinterland before ending at Hokitika.  

Our plan, and final leg today, was to take the highway to Hokitika (only 22 km).  But, before that, we had a rest at Kumara Junction.  This was a chance for me to go fossicking for rocks at Serpentine Beach, and hopefully find some special green stones that I can polish when I get home.  Rob had a nap while I took off my cycling shoes and went down to the beach.  I had been here before (Feb 2023) and always wanted to come back.  And here I was, back with the chance to collect more rocks. Unfortunately I'm on a bike and could only take a select few specimens because of the weight.  But it was worth it!!

Finally we got back on the bikes for the ride to Hokitika along the highway.  The wind had picked up and we took turns being the leader of the peloton.  It was exposed to the wind and was a slog. The traffic was super busy as well, which didn't help matters.  I'm not really looking forward to next week - we spend quite a bit of time on the highway, all the way to Wanaka.  

We made it to Hokitika, checked into our motel and got cleaned up. We had time so went for a walk around town before grabbing supplies from the New World supermarket and ate out at a Thai restaurant that was just what I needed.  We have a bit of luxury tonight - a toilet and shower in our room.  No walking around camp or 500 m cycle into town to do your business.  But also no heated toilet seat (Godbless Owen!).

Today's theme song is by Goanna - Solid Rock
Because I got to rock fossicking today and it makes me happy.


7am departure from Ikamatua.  Overcast skies early gave way to blue skies later in the day.


Start of the West Coast Wilderness Trail in Greymouth.  It was quite exciting to be at the starting line but I'll have to finish the complete trail another time.

Photo control point 20 - The Greymouth Breakwater lookout.  Oh the ocean!!! Love it.

Fossicking at Serpentine Beach.  Rob wasn't as excited as I was about collecting rocks and he relaxed by the picnic table while I went down to the beach.


Photo control point 21 Hokitika clock tower.  We turned off our Strava at the clock tower but should have left it running so we could have clocked up 100km today.


The mandatory photo of the Hokitika sign along the beach made out of driftwood.