Sat, 21st Mar, 2026 (part2) Freedom camp, Kakapotahi-Waitaha River mouth to Blaketown Quay camp, Greymouth, NZ (Hokitika & Greymouth Beach)

Walked back to the camper then drove along to Sunset Point to have lunch - mouth of the Hokitika River as it meets the Tasman Sea. Lots of driftwood here - so much that they make sculptures out of it. Great fun for the kids and adults too until the waves roll in and knock them over. The dragon was copping a beating but he hung in there.

Historic anchor and ship - more info about shipwrecks.

Two guys were trying to catch dinner.

Walked to the river mouth. The sea water is pushing the river water back - must be the top of the tide.

The dragon is still up.

A few more sculptures. Saw a little rat dart between the rocks. Must be a descendant of the rats that would have come off the sailing ships as they didn’t have any rats in NZ before Europeans arrived.

Back to the camper for lunch. As it is cool I thought we would have soup but the gas bottle just ran out, so salad instead. Good timing, at least we are in a town to get it swapped over - no extra bottles in this camper. As we only use the gas for the stove it definitely wasn’t full when we picked up the camper - another x on StarRVs ‘all full and ready to go’ moto. Around to the service station where they refilled it for $20.

Back to the foreshore but further north of the river. Wandered along - spotted a rabbit. Some other sculptures are now pictures on the rubbish bins.

Another rabbit near some lovely wood carvings.

An old lookout bunker from WW2.

There is a small group of parks for freedom camping here but we will keep going. Drove around town checking out some of the buildings.

Onto the main highway and continued north past lovely green fields by the Tasman Sea. Pulled off at the Sewerage Ponds to use the dump point. Apparently the swans and ducks like the ponds!

Continued on with the narrow farming land and sea to our left and more farms going to the base of the mountains on our right. Across the Arahura River.

Now it is tree-covered ridge on our right with the farms still on the left.

Turned off towards Serpentine Beach. Good spot for Greenstone (Jade) hunting. Passed a deer farm.

More driftwood along the beach. The tide is still high so not good for looking for stones. We wandered along any case, darting down to the water’s edge between the waves. Found some nice rocks but I don’t think they are Greenstone.

Back to the main highway and continued northward. Up the hill then left at Kamara Junction - Geoff & Virginia are further on if we turned inland but will come back to them tomorrow. Continued on towards Greymouth. Across the Taramakau River.

Into Paroa Village. The turnoff to Shanytown Heritage Village is here which we will do after we visit Geoff & Virginia as that was a place I visited in 1982.

Homes and accommodation places lining both sides of the road as we near Greymouth. Through town to the river then along to Woolworths as we needed some supplies. Found the cheapest fuel place, 2.819c/l now.

Followed our map to Blacktown Quay where there is a self-contained freedom camp by the beach and the mouth of the Grey River. It was full - some people don’t park well and take up too much room as there aren’t allocated bays here. Steve went for a walk and followed a track to a cleared area by the beach where another traveller was parked. All good he said so off we went. We parked near a huge ‘driftwood house’.

I walked down to the rocky beach and checked out the ‘house’.

Had a cuppa then we headed to the southern Breakwater view point. Found another ‘bunker’ or as the sign said ‘pillbox’ near the freedom camp spot.

Along the ‘breakwater’ to the lookout.

Across the channel we could hear car engines roaring and realised there is a speedway tucked in there. We could spot them now and again on the high bank sections.

The old railway lines to the end.

We can just see the camper behind the ‘driftwood house’. View south over the beach.

Big concrete area below in the channel. Fisherman trying his luck. View to north then up the Grey River.

Another chap caught a fish - didn’t get it’s name but he said it was good eating with white flesh.

Sadly a few men have lost their lives here and not that long ago.

Onto the lookout boat.

Better view of the speedway from here.

More fisherman down on the concrete platform.

Back along the road. Spotted this lovely smooth rock.

Walked down and onto the beach looking for Greenstone. The sun is out and warming us up (25 degrees).

Up the rocky slope to the ‘driftwood house’.

Back to the camper for drinks with the sound of the waves and the roar of the engines from the speedway. We have both changed into shorts and t-shirts! Opened all the windows too! Our route for today.

7pm starting to cool off. A chap pulled in front of us with a bus then went down into the ‘driftwood house’ and made a fire - very smelly so we closed up the camper as it was blowing straight at us.

Beautiful sunset.

The sound of the final races at the Speedway roared then all was quiet except for the waves which was lovely.