Road trip: Christchurch to Greymouth

Hills morph into mountains and the rivers run deeper, faster and bluer. On entering Lewis Pass National Park the beech forest closes in around the road as it winds smoothly to the summit. Driving through the dappled flickering light along this grand boulevard of green, the surrounding mountains appear through the forest like glimpses on a grainy Super 8 film.

Spots to stop for photos are limited, so the Lewis Pass summit provides a welcome opportunity to breathe in the 360-degree panorama. A 20-minute loop track is a cracker to stretch the legs and admire moss and lichen in alpine ecosystems that inspire wonder. 

After Lewis Pass, a short descent leads to the geothermal Maruia Hot Springs. The one-stop wellness complex includes a wealth of mindful and relaxation-inducing activities, including guided sauna infusions, steam and zen rooms and group classes. At the centre of it all sit the mineral-rich natural pools tastefully landscaped with rocks and tussock with a vista of spectacular scenery. 

Two divine French specimens, completely naked and comfortable in their skins, wander serenely between the pools. I have no doubt that swimsuits would be completely wasted on them. With the pools open 24 hours to guests, I take the opportunity for an early morning soak and gaze at the steam swirling up into the Milky Way as it gradually surrenders to the dawn. The babbling Maruia River flowing west provides the serene soundtrack.

I follow the river’s direction, continuing my journey and staying with theme of nature immersion. The road to Reefton passes through Victoria Forest Park, a place that’s resolutely reserved for bush, mountains and rivers, where forest bathing can take place a mere metre from the road. 

The historic town of Reefton provides a chance to connect with a slice of human heritage. I wander streets lined with restored buildings that celebrate its pioneering roots.

The town has also become synonymous with the Reefton Distilling Company with its range of Little Biddy spirits, named in honour of the four-foot-tall gold-miner Bridget Goodwin. The Irish born miner worked in the Buller Gorge area in the 1860s and by all accounts enjoyed her gin.  

Approaching the West Coast, the road runs alongside the Buller River all the way to Westport where it empties into the rolling Tasman Sea. A brief side trip to nearby Cape Foulwind with its lighthouse provides a sense of the long sweeping geography of the coast looking north towards Karamea, and south to Paparoa National Park.

The road south becomes confined to a narrow passage between the bush and the Tasman Sea; nīkau palms play the starring role as they majestically line the route. Cribs, clearly constructed in the era before rules, nestle in nooks and crannies amongst the rocky outcrops that jut out into the sea. Signs for blackwater rafting, cycling and glowworm tours highlight the multitude of activities available in the area.  

However, I have my sights set on Punakaiki as the jewel in the crown of this insanely scenic coastline. As a hitchhiking university student, I first visited the small settlement on my way from Dunedin to the Rangitikei at start of the summer holidays. I recall a sense of discovering a location that felt exotic, not of this country. It’s a feeling that’s stayed with every visit since.

Now the entry or exit point for the Paparoa Great Walk, Punakaiki is home to the iconic Pancake Rocks. The stunningly designed Panagairi Visitors Centre and Paparoa Experience, sitting in perfect harmony with its surroundings, is a great recent addition.

Opposite the centre is the Pancake Rocks loop track. Seeing the blowholes in action is impressive, but a visit during calm conditions is also great. I watched Aoraki to the far south turn gloriously pink in the morning light. Walking back to the village, the towering cliffs behind the village act as a magnificent amphitheatre by reflecting and amplifying the sound of the rolling ocean.

Another essential walk, just up the coast, is the 30-minute return Truman Track through native rainforest to an isolated rugged beach complete with sea caves and waterfall cascades. It’s the entire West Coast captured in a perfect morsel. 

Driving down the coast, the Tasman Sea disappears in the rear mirror as the road turns inland towards the Southern Alps. A short 10km detour to the salami-famous town of Blackball is worthwhile, if only to visit the Blackball Museum of working-class history.   

Set informally outdoors, the exhibition tells the town’s fascinating story that spans coal mining and the rise of worker strikes that led to the formation of the trade union movement and eventually the Labour Party. The Blackball Workingmen's Club is located directly across the street. It also houses the MSA (the Mutual Society of the Arts), which feels symbolic of modern-day Blackball melding its working-class and creative communities.

The route back through the mountains skirts Lake Moana before narrowing through gorges and squeezing between the spectacular peaks surrounding Arthur’s Pass. There are several places to stop and admire the awe-inspiring beauty of it all, including one overlooking the engineering marvel of Ōtira Viaduct. Travelling through the more arid mountains east of Arthur’s Pass, the final leg of the journey over the Canterbury Plains awaits at the bottom of Porters Pass.

Guided by the distant beacon of Christchurch’s Port Hills back, the New Zealand-famous Sheffield Pies is a popular kai stop on this stretch of road. If there’s room left for dessert, perhaps save a spot for an ice cream back on Sumner beach.

Back at the spot where the journey started, hordes of beachgoers and even the seagulls seemed at peace. In fact, it was hard to feel otherwise in the mellow spring conditions that, even sixty hours later, remained breathlessly still.