Stunning Blue Water and Milk

Last Saturday we awoke to pounding rain, sheets of water cascading down. It is still a novelty for Coloradoans to experience drenching rain, and rather nice to watch from inside. We had a weekend get away planned however, so after a quick trip to the gym and a bit of dawdling, we  were off. Within twenty minutes of leaving, the rain stopped and blue sky appeared- perfect timing. 

We were off to the Hokitika area south of Westport and went by Punakiki again where the rainstorm had caused high seas and the blowholes were quite dramatic. We continued on to our destination of Kumara, a tiny town of 320 people, a few kilometers in from the coast on the Alpine highway. Like many towns here Kumara was once a busy gold rush town with four banks and 2 hotels.
We stayed in the recently restored Theatre Royal Hotel, which in its heyday hosted performers from the world over including the London Circus.

The interior of the hotel reflected the original Victorian sensibility. We were then only overnight guests though the bar and dining room were hopping. Our 

waiter told us they had served 80 people the night before. We continue to be amazed when we find these out of the way spots seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

The next morning we drove through beautiful farm land up to the base of the Alps and the Hokitika Gorge. The beautiful blue color is from glacial rock powder suspended in the water. 

Though there are many more sheep in New Zealand than cows, the dairy industry is by far the largest export industry, it over took sheep 25 years ago. Dairy is huge, though comes with a cost and quite a debate here, cows require much more resources and produce much more waste.

The North Island has the bulk of the dairy farms but it is huge on the South Island as well. Fonterra is a huge national cooperative that is a virtual monopoly on dairy here, most of what we buy in the stores are Fonterra products, though the bulk of exports are in the form of milk powder that goes to Asia. Hokitika has one of the few remaining independent                    dairy Producers, Westland.

Imagine having to drive the Coast Highway with these milk trucks, not to mention the mining trucks, sharing the narrow road and the frequent one lane bridges.

Coast Highway Point Elizabeth