Kaz, the manager at the Westwood Lodge, told us that when the weather is clear, we can see the glacier from the back door of our cottage. Unfortunately, the heavy clouds and fog obscured the mountains from which the glacier crept.

After breakfast, we packed up and headed to the glacier for sightseeing.

New Zealand’s south island has a few glaciers left from the last ice age, one of which is peeking out from between two mountains upriver from the town below the glacier. We drove up to the parking area and walked the trails.

According to the estimates, the glacier extended to the ocean 11,000 years ago and since then has retreated approximately 22 km from the ocean to where it currently is. There is still a constant river from the glacier to the ocean from glacial melt and snow runoff.

We left the glacier at noon and headed north to Punakaiki where our next destination, the Wave Watcher’s Retreat is located. The approximate 220 km drive went mostly through cattle and sheep country and was much flatter than our harrowing adventure through the mountains the previous day.

Although no pictures of the Wave Watcher’s Retreat were provided, the information that we received included a list of accommodations and a vague description of the place as a “PRIVATE COTTAGE”. A phone number for Christina, the caretaker, was provided, which I rang the day of arrival to ask about what to expect. Christina told me that although the kitchen was stocked with just about all the cooking utensils that we would need to prepare meals, we would have to bring our own food. This also meant no breakfast, as Lorna and I would be the only ones on the property. I had no issue with this considering that I enjoy cooking, but it was good to discover that this wasn’t a Bed & Breakfast.

From the travel notes provided to us:

• Double accommodation in a 2-bedroom/3-bathroom self-contained seaside cottage
• (1xQueen + 1xDouble), room only; with coffee/tea, milk and sugar provided.
• There is a fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher, thermal oven, microwave and fridge-freezer; full laundry facilities; lounge with SKY tv and CD player; three outdoor decks and a gas barbeque.

This was followed by a note that the closest market was in Greymouth (30 minutes south) so if we planned to cook our own meals, it was advisable to shop there prior to arrival in Punakaiki.

On the way, we stopped at Hokitika for lunch. Hokitika is an old mining town with a stereotypical 1950s main drag that could have passed for Mayberry. Despite the old feel to the place, it appeared to have a little of everything. Of all places we could have had lunch, we got sandwiches at Subway, which seldom disappoints but is also seldom worthy of writing about. Afterward, we checked out the shops which included a glassblower and his wares. Everything else was mostly stones and gifts.

Continuing our drive north, we stopped at the town of Greymouth to buy wine and groceries.

Upon arrival in Punakaiki, I have to admit that I was a bit alarmed when we found the property because I thought that it was a mobile home, suggested by the two large propane tanks attached to the wall facing the street. The shape of the house resembled a single-wide trailer, which supported my initial observation.

However, it didn’t matter much to me as long as it was strong enough to withstand the might of the sea. With good weather predicted, I wasn’t worried. Although the place was small, it was comfortable and included just about everything that we might need to accommodate us for our stay.

All of the doors faced the beach, the sound of the surf drowning out all other sound. We couldn’t keep the doors open however because stinging flies are quite bothersome during the day. The temperature ranged from 17C (65F) during the day to 7C (45F) at night so it was nice to have heaters throughout the place available.

After getting settled, I fired up the grill and made steaks while roasting potatoes and making salads in the kitchen. With the wine that we brought, it was the perfect way to finish the day, watching the sun set over the Tasman Sea. Even though Lorna wiped out on the footpath and murdered a wine glass.