Monday 20th June: Weather 10°C to 19°C cloudy but no rain
Karma to Nelson via Westport: 200k bus ride
Accommodation: Nelson YHA
Westport Main Street
Highlight was just a very nice bus ride across New Zealand taking in all the scenery.
We’re awake at 6.30am and it’s pitch black. I boil the jug while we shower but just as I switch the jug back on to re-heat the water, the power blows out - not just in our room, not just the cabins, but all over Karma. We found out later that this regularly happens when the farmers start their milking machines en masse, and the power to the town is cut as the farmers have priority over townsfolk. So we did get to have an almost hot cup of tea
It’s a cold wait outside for the Karma Express - the daily Post Bus that goes between Karma and Westport. It’s freezing cold in the bus but it’s only a 1 1/2 hr trip over a very winding road. It’s 9.15am when we arrive in Westport and head for the nearest cafe with seating inside where we enjoy a hot cappuccino with hot date/apple scones.
Sunset Nelson
Communal Kitchen YHA Nelson
We’ve 6 hrs to kill - time to have a wander around all the op shops in Westport - there’s 3 of them - and I buy a few long sleeved shirts and a Patricia Cornwell book “The Front”. Then a walk around the harbour where all the fishing boats are tied up. There’s the movie theatre but the only movie showing in Lion, which we’d only recently seen.
At the end of town is the large New World Supermarket where we buy enough for lunch and also dinner and breakfast for when we arrive in Nelson later tonight. Back to the Information Centre to wait for the Inter City bus which arrives at 4pm. Almost 4 hrs later we arrive in Nelson and it’s only a short walk down to the YHA where Hilary and Ian have also booked. It’s a Friday night and the place is full, with many backpackers turned away. After dumping our stuff in our room, it’s back to the dining room to have a rather late dinner of our hiking left overs - peas, mince with fresh zucchini and onion from the New World in Westport, washed down with a Taylor’s Promised Land Shiraz, and oz shiraz that is very nice. Shower and bed at 9pm.