DAY 9&10 KIWI EXPERIENCE
WESTPORT
Nothing much here and raining again! Signed up to do surfing, which is not something I’d usually think about doing but made the promise to try as many new things as possible and NZ is the place for new experiences!
9 of us went and it turned out really good, managed to stand a few times but it tires you out swimming back out every time! Was good fun though, mostly we all just got taken out by the waves! Justin, a fella from Cali has got the be 1 of the funniest Americans I’ve met!
SOMEONE STOLE $400
After Westport we called into Greymouth to check out the brewery. Something we probably didn’t need as the biggest night of the month was due this evening.
Mahinapau Lake. The Poo Pub
QUALITY RATIO
Back to the hostel and my room, again full of girls apart from me and tobi had made dinner for us which was decent. Our dorm was called the unit and had 14 beds with a kitchen which was pretty good. Didn’t drink as I’m heading to Mahinapua Lake tomorrow. The amount of girls on our bus has been pretty good, maybe too many though.
THE DRIVE
The drive to Mahinapau Lake took us through State Highway 6 which is 435km of complete bliss through diverse landscapes. We stopped at Cape Foulwind Seal Colony Walk and the rock formations. After sitting in the bus for a few hours its always good to get out!
MAHINAPUA LAKE
This place became part of the Kiwi Experience with a bit of luck actually. 25years ago there was such a heavy storm 1 of the bus became stranded and had to call into Mahinapua Lake. It’s nicknamed ‘the poo pub’ as it’s just an old mans pub and is pronounced min-a-poo, the place is in the middle of no where. He asked the owner if he could make some food and allow the backpackers to sleep on the floor for the night. Since then it became a bit of an institution.
Now it has all the right facilities (cabins, showers etc) to accommodate everyone. And because there is a bus arriving everyday, there is enough business so it doesn’t require any other customers. It’s family run and they live there, so everyday they have 50 new gagging backpackers getting drunk.
THE POO PUB
The poo pub is not so much an activity stop but just a piss up and fancy dress with a different theme every night. Our theme was the letter P. We stopped at small town, I doubted I’d find anything but the place has it all, again down to the demand from the buses. There is a $2 dollar shop that the kiwi bus keeps in business!
Natania was a piñata with bags of sweets around her, a couple went as poo and paper, suzie as popcorn, a few Scottish lads went as presents, Mia who deservedly won went as a Maori princess (can’t remember the right name, Pākehā?). I went as a princess and A few of the girls where happy to do my make up, but Erin failed to tell me the lipstick she applied was 24hr stuff!
The night was just a big piss up! Before everyone got drunk we all had a roast dinner and had the chance to make some jewelry from a special green stone (or so we where told). I had a cracking fern made and asked the guy if they are brittle. He said no and picked mine up and threw it on the ground and smiled. I swear my heart jumped, but when I picked it up it just fell apart! I just walked out, time for a drink.
THE MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE
Next morning got breakfast and there was a few fragile and awkward faces that morning but a brilliant night and I can see why they now include it.
Onto the bus and the driver (Nancy boy) said that money had been stolen from one of the cabins ($1200 = £600). But the stupid thing being is none of the cabins had locks and I believe no one on our bus would do it. Nancy believed though that because the bar was in the middle of nowhere it could only be us.
There were a few temporary staff there who were also backpackers and it was their last night. To me that would make more sense, they knew the lye of the land and probably had an idea they wouldn’t be accused. A few of us believed it to be them and 1 of them who was suppose to get onto our bus the next day didn’t turn up. A few of the girls got chatting to him the next day at franz josef and he was all very defensive.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Another great bonding session with the bus and thankfully everyone is happy to take the piss out of themselves by dressing up in the most ridiculous outfits!
NEXT UP
Off the Franz Josef to hopefully do a Skydive over the glacier but the weather has been a shocker and with the slightest hint of wind or rain they are usually called off. Click to read.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
25/229
This post is part of The New Zealand and Fiji Series, click to explore.
