Intercity to Greymouth

The next day it was time to depart again and this time to Greymouth further north along the coast once again using ‘Intercity’ coaches. The trip takes us through the alpine landscape, lush farmland and sub-tropical rain forest. We have two stops on route to fuel up with coffee and cake (while the driver has a ciggie) one of which is the Bushman’s Café… A no holds barred joint selling possum meat & venison pies. Almost everything is covered in possum fur including the wooden seats! Even the walls have stag heads mounted on them for decoration giving it a hunters lodge feel - you definitely need to keep and open mind when coming here and a sense of humour… Check out the HUGE sand fly outside. On a positive note there are a number of animals here to view including a wallaby, mountain goats and deer.
Arriving at Greymouth train station spot on time (a very small building of timber resting beside a long platform) I am directed to the tourist information office for details on activities in the town. They are very helpful and I find that the main things to do are exploring the history of the area, shopping (especially for Jade artefacts) and short walks. I opt initially for finding the YHA, which turns out to be just a 10min walk from the station across the tracks. The hostel is one of those hidden gems, well worth a visit if you are travelling the country - opt to stay if you can in the 10 person dorm, which is a converted chapel, still with its original features :) and is even named as the chapel room - there is acres of room and comfortable beds as well as all the mod cons you come to expect from the YHA. Fantastic.

I have booked an Scenic Alpine train ride from Greymouth to Christchurch on the 30th March for the grand total of $55 one way - this is a special off season rate and I will be travelling through Arthur’s Pass on route so expect more photos soon :)
Next stop Christchurch…