LOCATION: West central coast of South Island, New Zealand. North of Greymouth
WEATHER: Sunny at last! Highs in upper 60s
We continued driving through the rain forest along the Tasman Sea. We stopped in one village called Shantytown which is an old gold mining site. Another stop was in a town famous for its jade. The jade carving shop was full of Chinese tourists. On north. We had lunch in Greymouth, trying the local favorite whitebait fritters. They are like small minnows, prized on the West Coast.
A word about driving....George has acclimated to driving on the left, although roundabouts still get a little dicey, and somehow the window wipers get substituted for the left turn signal on a regular basis! Today we had our third "issue". First was backing up into a ditch in Bluff, and popping off some screws on the bumper. This campervan doesn't have a rear view camera like we are used to on our pickup truck at home. Second incident was at Milford Sound hitting the rock and puncturing the tire. Today was #3 in Greymouth. When we pulled into the parallel parking spot, we got too close. Since the van is low, the front bumper got stuck under the curb. A kind passerby and I lifted the front end while George backed it out. Whew! Now for that weird noise we are trying to ignore coming from the motor when we are idling....
We stopped in Punakaiki, famous for its pancake rocks. 
These "pancake" layers have been formed over the years from wind and water. The sea views here are fantastic. It was a beautiful walk along the sea.
We stopped in the pub, conveniently located footsteps from the campground. We enjoyed talking to a local guy, one of about 100 people living here.
We have a pretty good routine. When we stay in commercial parks, we immediately put our food in the refrigerator and water bottles in the freezer. When the car motor is running, we plug our refrigerator/cooler into the cigarette lighter. The frozen bottles keep the food pretty cool, and we can go another day and stay in a freedom camp with no amenities.
Today's park, like all commercial parks, have nice kitchens. 
Often, they supply tea kettles, toasters, and dishwashing equipment. Some even provide cookware and plates. This one has a nice stove.
The most popular item is the electrical outlets. People plug in their devices in every available slot.
DINNER: Spaghetti with leftover lamb and vegetables. Topped with some good cheese.
We watched the sun set over the Tasman Sea. Just beautiful. Just like summer in Minnesota, the sun sets about 9:00.
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