Friday 01 February

Westport
Last night at the DoC campsite was magic. The sand flies weren't too bad and there didn't seem to be any mosquitoes. There were probably about four other couples camping, but we hardly knew they were there. I woke up in the night and through the mesh window in the tent canopy I saw a sky brimming with stars. The moon has been fairly full up until now so it was the first time I have noticed this. After a very leisurely start we followed the valley of the Buller River through some stunning scenery, deep gorges and ox-bow bends, overhanging hillsides almost black with close trees. Where the valley widened out to provide flat agricultural land there were lots of cows, and on the hillsides sheep, of course.
The campsite at Westport tonight couldn't be more different, crammed with Motor Homes and large Campervans, and so many facilities. The showers are hot enough to scald, the kitchen has at least six toasters and a kettle as well as full stoves and ovens. There is a spacious lounge with sofas and a large TV and an undercover BBQ area (gas so we didn't use it). We walked along the beach and were astounded at the drift wood in a wide stretch at the high water line, we have never seen anything like it. We thought that one of the beaches on northern Cuba was littered with driftwood after a hurricane, but it was nothing compared to this, there were whole trees. We spoke to a local man who told us that it was the result of a terrific storm last Boxing Day, and this was nothing, local people had already been and collected all the good stuff for winter firewood, only the rubbish wood was left. It looked very good wood to us.
Tomorrow we are off up the north west coast to a very remote DoC site, the end of the road, we will have to come back the same way. Rain has been forecast for Sunday, everyone keeps telling us. I think when it rains here it is a lot. Maybe the van is in for a testing time, and so are we.