Collingwood... literally, a one-street town

Today I took the 20min bus journey (which cost me a $ a minute - go figure that one out!) to Collingwood, the last bit of civilisation in the Golden Bay before you fall off the Farewell Spit. It's a tiny place, with an estuary on one side and the sea, with a massive beach, on the other, backed by hills/mountains.
I'm staying at Somerset House, a lovely backpackers in an old wooden House, owned by an English ex-dentist from Somerset and his Korean wife. It's another great hostel - with a sunny Terrace with giant chess, chairs and sofas looking over the estuary and the oldest building in Collingwood, a church. There owner Chris and his wife Hiromi are concerned that we take advatange of everything on offer around, offering us use of the kayaks and bikes, maps and info. The hostel itself has comfy rooms, free breakfast, free kayaks, free bikes, and a general lack of formality which makes it feel more like a home. There's also a good mix of guests, like in Annie's, from older trampers to young travellers.

Within minutes of arriving I've agreed to rent the hostel's car with a Finnish girl (Satu - though I don't even know her name at this point!), to drive to a legendarily gorgeous beach, Wharakiki (sp?) beach, and the Farewell Spit, the next day. Then about twenty minutes later we meet two American guys, Jonathan and Travis, who have just come up from working 5 months in Antarctica, shifting cargo at the American base there, who we invite to join us. I, fortunately or unfortunately, get volunteered to drive, since I'm the only one who's used to the left side of the road! They may not know what they've signed up for...!!!

In the evening, after a day of exploring the beach, paddling in the warm waters and, most important, discovering Rosie's Chocolate Shop, Chris the hostel owner offers to take all of us at the hostel on a little walk to see some glowworms. No paying cave entry fees for us! We walk up the road behind the hostel and there they are, glowworms just hanging on the trees and in the bushes! It's very cool and I suppose a little eerie - there are the stars in the sky (the milky way clear as anything) and then the glowworms like greenish stars in the bushes. When a car comes Chris urges us all to turn to the hedge and shut our eyes to protect our night vision - we must have looked pretty entertaning to the driver, twenty people huddled by the side of road, eyes tight shut, faces in the hedge!

written by

LizIsHere on February 22, 2010 from Collingwood, New Zealand

from the travel blog: New Zealand & Australia 2010

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