Gloworms and Greenstone

Trip Start Jan 17, 2007

Trip End Jul 20, 2007

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Flag of New Zealand Hokitika, New Zealand
Monday, May 7, 2007

Nearly all of the world's jade (greenstone as New Zealanders call it) is found within 20 kms Hokitika, making the town centre a mass of jade jewellery and carving shops. There's not a lot else in the small seaside town, but it was lovely to walk along the beach, the weather having improved to almost shorts and t-shirt weather! We enjoyed seeing maori art work and having a look around the jade shops.

Hokitika's other attraction is it's gloworms. A short walk in darkness leads to their dell where hundreds of tiny little fluorescent insects were ready to welcome us. It was really good to be able to walk into their cave without having to pay for a guide as is the case in much of New Zealand. It was cool to see so many of them, that you wouldn't have been able to see at all had it not been completely pitch black.

A good place to break the journey between the glaciers and Hanmer Springs with more hidden gems than we'd originally realised!

Lots of love,

Laurie and Jilly xx