This morning I ran into Nicole as I was headed to the restroom to get cleaned up. When we went to pay for her night, the guy gave it to her free.
We said our goodbyes then headed off to our next destinations. I would make the 3.5 hour drive to Christchurch to turn in the sleepervan and pick up the rental car I’d use over the next week. I planned to then stay at a Top 10 campground on the way to Nelson, NZ. When I saw that it was Hanmer that reminded me that Nicole had mentioned staying in Hamner as well, but coming at it from the north. There was a chance I’d see her again that night or the next day in Hanmer.
I’d had it in my head that I should get gas before leaving Greymouth as I was getting low, but didn’t think about it until the gas light came on once I was well down the road. There don’t seem to be as many gas stations in NZ as I’m used to back home, so I knew this could be a problem even though I was on a fairly well-traveled road. There have only been two times in my life that I thought I would run out of gas: this time, and three years ago when I was in NZ. Though on a main road, I was in a rural area. I kept my eyes open and counted down the kilometers until I reached a town I knew from highway signs was coming up. Surely they'd have gas. Not seeing a gas station I asked someone where I might find the nearest one. “Fifteen kms east is the closest one.” Already amazed I’d made it this far, I wondered if I could make it 15 kms or 10 miles to the next town. The other variable that came into play was that I'd be climbing a steep incline to get there. Not the best for gas mileage.
I got back on the road and drove, going through an area that was very scenic as I climbed. I tried to enjoy the view, but now as I climbed the steep hill on very narrow roads I considered the implications of running out of gas around a bend, or near the edge of a drop off. It probably didn't help when I passed a part of the road unsympathetically named “Death Corner”. Who names these places?! I pictured a convenient make-shift cemetery nearby for all the people that thought they could make it up the hill on fumes.
Finally I got to the top and was descending. I figured I’d be fine from here and could at least roll to a safe spot if need be. I pulled into town and found the “gas station”. An awkwardly-placed pump just outside of restaurant. You had to back up to it which involved pulling out onto the main road and backing in. Not a lot of traffic, so it was doable. The price was, of course, higher than normal, so I decided to take my chances and drive to the next town. Just kidding.
I needed to get to Chch (Christchurch) in time to turn in the car and get the new one, so I tried not to dillydally. But the views were amazing and I found it hard not to pull over and snap some pics. For time reasons I, regrettably, had to pass some up. One place I did spend some time was Castle Hill. This was one of my first stops when I was here three years ago and its parking lot was the first place I started driving in NZ then. Castle Hill was used for the filming of the battle scene in the movie “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” Quite an unusual place. The rocks are amazing, and this time I walked around the back side which I hadn’t done before. I missed out last time. It was amazing. God’s modern art.
I turned in my car and picked up my new car, but by this time it was 6:00 PM. It would be a two-hour drive to Hanmer and I’d need to set up my tent, so I decided to stay in Chch, grab dinner in town, and take it easy.
As I was walking around campground I stepped into the kitchen/dining hall to check it out. As I walked in I recognized two people across the way. The Dutch guys from Franz Josef (about five hours to the west). I went over and talked to them before heading on to dinner. NZ and especially the South Island can be a small place. Larger towns are spread about so running into someone you’ve met before isn’t impossible, especially if you stay with the same company for your accommodations. This was a Top 10 park as was the one I met them at originally. Good to see them again, though.
We said our goodbyes then headed off to our next destinations. I would make the 3.5 hour drive to Christchurch to turn in the sleepervan and pick up the rental car I’d use over the next week. I planned to then stay at a Top 10 campground on the way to Nelson, NZ. When I saw that it was Hanmer that reminded me that Nicole had mentioned staying in Hamner as well, but coming at it from the north. There was a chance I’d see her again that night or the next day in Hanmer.
I’d had it in my head that I should get gas before leaving Greymouth as I was getting low, but didn’t think about it until the gas light came on once I was well down the road. There don’t seem to be as many gas stations in NZ as I’m used to back home, so I knew this could be a problem even though I was on a fairly well-traveled road. There have only been two times in my life that I thought I would run out of gas: this time, and three years ago when I was in NZ. Though on a main road, I was in a rural area. I kept my eyes open and counted down the kilometers until I reached a town I knew from highway signs was coming up. Surely they'd have gas. Not seeing a gas station I asked someone where I might find the nearest one. “Fifteen kms east is the closest one.” Already amazed I’d made it this far, I wondered if I could make it 15 kms or 10 miles to the next town. The other variable that came into play was that I'd be climbing a steep incline to get there. Not the best for gas mileage.
I got back on the road and drove, going through an area that was very scenic as I climbed. I tried to enjoy the view, but now as I climbed the steep hill on very narrow roads I considered the implications of running out of gas around a bend, or near the edge of a drop off. It probably didn't help when I passed a part of the road unsympathetically named “Death Corner”. Who names these places?! I pictured a convenient make-shift cemetery nearby for all the people that thought they could make it up the hill on fumes.
Finally I got to the top and was descending. I figured I’d be fine from here and could at least roll to a safe spot if need be. I pulled into town and found the “gas station”. An awkwardly-placed pump just outside of restaurant. You had to back up to it which involved pulling out onto the main road and backing in. Not a lot of traffic, so it was doable. The price was, of course, higher than normal, so I decided to take my chances and drive to the next town. Just kidding.
I needed to get to Chch (Christchurch) in time to turn in the car and get the new one, so I tried not to dillydally. But the views were amazing and I found it hard not to pull over and snap some pics. For time reasons I, regrettably, had to pass some up. One place I did spend some time was Castle Hill. This was one of my first stops when I was here three years ago and its parking lot was the first place I started driving in NZ then. Castle Hill was used for the filming of the battle scene in the movie “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” Quite an unusual place. The rocks are amazing, and this time I walked around the back side which I hadn’t done before. I missed out last time. It was amazing. God’s modern art.
I turned in my car and picked up my new car, but by this time it was 6:00 PM. It would be a two-hour drive to Hanmer and I’d need to set up my tent, so I decided to stay in Chch, grab dinner in town, and take it easy.
As I was walking around campground I stepped into the kitchen/dining hall to check it out. As I walked in I recognized two people across the way. The Dutch guys from Franz Josef (about five hours to the west). I went over and talked to them before heading on to dinner. NZ and especially the South Island can be a small place. Larger towns are spread about so running into someone you’ve met before isn’t impossible, especially if you stay with the same company for your accommodations. This was a Top 10 park as was the one I met them at originally. Good to see them again, though.
![Picture](/uploads/4/6/5/8/46588651/8829800.jpg?599)
It's not uncommon to see one lane bridges where one side has to yield to the other before driving onto the bridge, however, for a bridge this long it could be kind of awkward. I guess you wait till the traffic clears instead of using the "passing bay"? Dunno. Fortunately, I was following someone else when I went across and there was no oncoming traffic.