Westport

Today was a driving day.  We started out going back up Takaka Hill.  Near the top, there was a turnoff for Canaan Scenic Reserve.  We drove about 11 km down this road.  During the LOTR, there was some filming done here.  Then back out to the road and into the town of Motueka.  There we exchanged some money, looked for a kite for John (didn’t find one), got some gas, and bought some cherries.  The boy at the bank is a student at Otago and he and John talked a bit.  

The drive was beautiful as usual.  We did drive down another road where the LOTR had some filming.  We accidentally ended up on some guy's sheep farm and he wasn't happy, but we finally did find the correct road.  That was worth the extra time.  

Then we had some ice cream and bought some honey at a local stand.  From there, we headed along the Buller River and crossed on New Zealand’s longest swing bridge.  The mountains on this drive remind me a lot of Colorado.  However, the vegetation is definitely different!  We finally arrived in Westport where we are staying at a delightful hostel.