Day 4: Abel Tasman - Westport
After a delay due to Gollum (yes, our bus has a name) breaking down, we left Abel Tasman/Marahau in the morning in a torrential rainstorm heading southwest. The rain rarely let up all day. We had several rest and/or mechanical stops and arrived in Westport mid afternoon.
Westport is a sleepy little town on the west coast, not much to see or do really. This area was originally known for gold mining and, when that ran out, turned to coal mining. The fact that it was cold, wet, and windy made it a good afternoon to stay in and just be cozy.
I stayed at the TripInn Hostel for backpackers, a historic house originally a “stately gentleman’s” residence, built in the late 1860’s, which is now protected under the NZ Historic Places Trust. Beautiful gardens, woodwork and intricate pressed tin ceilings with a wood burning fireplace created a lovely atmosphere.
