Back down the mountains to Greymouth

Again, it poured steadily throughout the night.  The gently growling of the generator stopped at about 10pm leaving just the rhythm of rain drops on the roof in the pitch blackness of a bush night.
By morning, the surrounds were oozing water and I was wondering just how the track would be...
but a hearty continental breakfast helped to get the positive vibes going and soon I was pedlling off down the hill - or rather up to the Kawhaja Pass (317m) and then down to the Kawhaka Intake - this being a major hydroelectic set up, so followed it down to the flat country...
so beautiful again...  one of those days when I had to stop so many times for photos...  I decided to ignore the rain and hope that the camera would survive...  at one stage after the rain stopped and it began to warm up, both my glasses and the camera lenses fogged up, which made for a rather blurry few moments!
I think I will let the pictures tell the story this time... :)

inside my cabin - very nice

flash ensuite

after a rather damp night at Cowboy Paradise

the deck - soon to be completed....

Inside the Saloon - table set for breakfast...  not the extension cords everywhere!

Granny hanging at the bar with the rowdy Christchurch mob!

the trail out of here!

my cabin
I think this guy is onto something, but it seems it might be many
years before he gets there....

one of several bouncy suspension bridges

looking down to the creek below

oops, a bit of flooding, just ankle deep in very chilly water

Maggie surveying her conquered kingdom

Getting there Em :)  without tripod!

the creek has turned into a raging river

approaching the Kawhaka Intake

slightly scary see thru bridge over the overflow!

coca cola ready for bottlin'

lunch stop 

cool reflections

the rain had stopped and everything was steamy up!

another ferny section, with a little bubbling creek coming out of the hillside

part of the flooding from the hydroscheme

camera lense all fogged up!

getting down to the flat country now

rocks covered with blue-green algae that looks orange

Kumara Theatre Royal Hotel - started by a Swedish guy way back

yet another suspension bridge

Over a seriously deep canyon...  man-made?  

serious flood waters going out to sea

One for SDA mob - I haven't forgotten you!!

Monteiths Brewery

Seriously good beer-battered chips washed down with a Radler - I think my favourite so far!

Greymouth is all about gold-mining - the town is littered with historic mining equipment!