The next article covering our trip to New Zealand. Jenny and I finally took a break to do laundry, get a hot meal, and see some creepy dolls. I appreciate you reading this article. Remember to give the shop a look, especially the scratch & dent section with all sorts of random goodies that also might be on eBay. Norseman Creative now has a YouTube channel, and the most recent match was posted just this past weekend!
Jenny and I packed extremely light for our trip to Maoriland, with only my trusted ruck sack and her carry-on sized suitcase, Little Ricky, as luggage. After six days of exploring New Zealand it was high time to get some laundry done. Lucky for me and the general scent of our Camper Van, Jenny pre-programmed a laundry stop in the coastal town of Hokitika. After hiking around Arthur’s Pass, we aimed our camper back towards the coast and started trucking.
Before we hit the meticulously researched and selected laundromat in Hokitika, we first had to make a quick stop at Hokitika Gorge. About two hours after we left Arthur’s Pass National Park, we arrived at Hokitika Gorge. The hike to the Hokitika Gorge overlook was relatively short, and in the late afternoon light we were treated to a beautiful view of a winding river and the Hokitika Gorge Suspension Bridge that crosses it. We then hiked the Hokitika Gorge Track, an easy 45 minute hike, to check out a few more views. With that concluded, it was time to head into Hokitika proper.
We drove into Hokitika and parked across the street from the open “late” laundromat that Jenny had sought out via her internet sleuthing. When we were packing for our trip, I had made the call that there was no need to pack our own detergent. For one thing, it saved space in our luggage for things we needed like mosquito bracelets, toothpaste, and deodorant. For a second, I assumed that Lizzy’s Laundry would have a vending machine of detergent and dryer sheets. This was, apparently, a bad assumption, and Jenny dispatched me to New World, a department store that was basically a Kiwi Target. Rather than drive the van the long, long distance of three blocks, I walked. Once the detergent was secured, I walked back, we threw our clothes in the washer, and set out to explore Hokitika.
In addition to being fun to pronounce, Hokitika demonstrated that New Zealand really has a little something for everyone. Imagine you could drive from the mountains of Montana to a New England fishing town in just a couple hours. Now imagine that when you do that drive, there are less people in the whole county than there are in twenty-three U.S. states. Its an incredibly peaceful feeling. Now imagine that almost every store and restaurant closes at 8 p.m. sharp and you will start to see the planning required to navigate that serenity.
Jenny and I had an hour to kill before our clothes were ready to transfer into the dryer, so we left our van behind and hiked into the town center. Hokitika reminded me of the small, New England towns in Massachusetts and Maine that Jenny and I frequented while stationed at Hanscom AFB. It helped that heavy, coastal cloud cover rolled in before we set out exploring, darkening the sky and threatening rain. The quaint, quiet town had a number of shops filled with trinkets and souvenirs, all closed by the time we meandered past.
We pressed on through the town, eventually making it to Hokitika Beach. On Hokitika Beach, Jenny and I discovered two things that were surprises to me. First, a ship where ships ought not to be: the Shipwreck Memorial.
A reconstruction of the schooner Tambo, which ran aground in 1866 and was washed back out to sea, the memorial consists of picnic tables on a concrete rendering of the ill-fated schooner and the real thing’s anchor. There was a handy plaque to tell us what the deal was with this ship that was not where it should be. Immediately next to it, however, was a creepy set of dolls that were not explained. My internet research has not yet gleaned any insight into why they were just creepily hanging around, so hopefully we didn’t disturb a convent of Kiwi witches trying to cast hexes on unsuspecting tourists.
After this creepy little experience, Jenny and I walked back to Lizzy’s Laundromat, put our laundry in the dryer, and set back out into Hokitika for dinner. At this point, we hadn’t really eaten since our pancakes earlier that morning. Unfortunately for us, in the idyllic little town of Hokitika, everything closed around 8 p.m. We walked to the first restaurant we scouted earlier in the evening, to find it closed. Off to the second option, which wasn’t serving food. Their offer of sitting at the bar and slugging back a few pint glasses of local beer was extremely tempting, but we still had some driving to do. Across the street, a Pizza restaurant. I figured that if anything was open, it would be a pizza joint. Nope, despite their name implying they might be willing to take a few risks.
At this point, I was starting to get worried that we wouldn’t find a spot to eat. Our snacks in the van were dwindling, and I was getting hangry. Suddenly, a savory scent wafted to our nostrils and drew us forward, like a hobo in an offensive 1940’s cartoon. Was that butter chicken and garlic naan we smelled?
Yes. Yes it was. Thankfully, an Indian restaurant was open, the only place in the whole town. Jenny and I practically ran into their restaurant, plunked down at an open table, and ordered Butter Chicken, Tikka Masala, Biryani Rice, Garlic Naan, and a couple drinks. Our miniature feast tasted like heaven, filling our stomachs that had long since been emptied. We devoured our food, then made our way back to the camper.
We drove through the dark for an hour, arriving at our campsite in the deep dark. We quickly set up the camper for bed, then slipped into a restful night’s sleep, despite our excitement over our next adventure at the Franz Josef Glacier.
I hope you enjoyed the article! Supporting the blog is best done via the shop. I also would appreciate it if you liked, subscribed, and shared the blog with others. Tune in soon for more Adventures of Quickstride & Shambler!