the route

Wednesday, March 12

Ross to Greymouth. Ahhh, success this morning in Ross. We finally managed to get OUR computer fired up -- successfully hooking up to Voyager, a local ISP. Thanks to Ray and Diane Manera (of Manera's Grocery, pictured) for letting us use your phone line. (By the way, they are interested in selling the business after 20 some years. So, if anyone out there wants own a great little store in Ross, give them a call.) Mostly farmland again today. Seeing much more of the coast. Mike is working up a serious surfing jones, but no board. Looked like some nice waves breaking from Hokitika on. Greymouth definitely has some good surf.

Stiff breeze blowing out of the northwest -- could it be all the cyclone action happening around here? We keep hearing about them, but luckily so far, no direct evidence (except, perhaps, that pesky wind). All my sources said the wind would blow from the southwest. I guess that's reason enough for it not to. Passed through Hokitika around lunchtime and did a little jade shopping. Apparently, this is jade country. Wouldn't be a bonafide tourista without browsing at least a few shops. Our tent is pitched right on the beach tonight a few kilometers south of Greymouth.

Greymouth was mostly shut up for the night by the time we rolled in but seems like a nice enough place. Amazingly, it clocks in as the west coast's largest town with a population of just over 7000. Greymouth -- like many of the towns we have passed through -- strikes me as very 50's-esque (please, nobody out there take this the wrong way, it is intended as a complement). Shops still seem to be of local origin, without the glossy overtones of mass consumption. Overall, the town is washed with subdued colors, with few brash signs crying for your attention. Some more perhaps meaningless trivia... The cold and hot water taps are never mixed.

This sets up an interesting dilemma when washing dishes, hands, etc. (hot is too hot, cold is too cold). Is there a good way to manage this? If there is I have not discovered it yet. Also, the light switches here throw downward to turn on. I'm almost positive switches in the U.S. throw upward to turn on. Tonight we will fall asleep to the sound of pounding surf. What could be better?

See the map for this day

	Wednesday, March 12
	Ross to Greymouth. Ahhh, success this morning in Ross. We finally managed to get OUR computer fired up -- successfully hooking up to Voyager, a local ISP. Thanks to Ray and Diane Manera (of Manera's Grocery, pictured) for letting us use your phone line. (By the way, they are interested in selling the business after 20 some years. So, if anyone out there wants own a great little store in Ross, give them a call.) Mostly farmland again today. Seeing much more of the coast. Mike is working up a serious surfing jones, but no board. Looked like some nice waves breaking from Hokitika on. Greymouth definitely has some good surf. Stiff breeze blowing out of the northwest -- could it be all the cyclone action happening around here? We keep hearing about them, but luckily so far, no direct evidence (except, perhaps, that pesky wind). All my sources said the wind would blow from the southwest. I guess that's reason enough for it not to. Passed through Hokitika around lunchtime and did a little jade shopping. Apparently, this is jade country. Wouldn't be a bonafide tourista without browsing at least a few shops. Our tent is pitched right on the beach tonight a few kilometers south of Greymouth. Greymouth was mostly shut up for the night by the time we rolled in but seems like a nice enough place. Amazingly, it clocks in as the west coast's largest town with a population of just over 7000. Greymouth -- like many of the towns we have passed through -- strikes me as very 50's-esque (please, nobody out there take this the wrong way, it is intended as a complement). Shops still seem to be of local origin, without the glossy overtones of mass consumption. Overall, the town is washed with subdued colors, with few brash signs crying for your attention. Some more perhaps meaningless trivia... The cold and hot water taps are never mixed. This sets up an interesting dilemma when washing dishes, hands, etc. (hot is too hot, cold is too cold). Is there a good way to manage this? If there is I have not discovered it yet. Also, the light switches here throw downward to turn on. I'm almost positive switches in the U.S. throw upward to turn on. Tonight we will fall asleep to the sound of pounding surf. What could be better? See the map for this day