Nelson – Westport We cross from Tasman via the Buller Gorge to the West Coast. Wild and rugged and swarming with sandflies! Our first stop west after leaving Nelson is the Kawatiri Historic Railway Walk. Short loop walk which takes you through the bush before taking you through the railway tunnel. We then travel on to Murchison. A small town that seems surprisingly busy for a Monday. We learn that the road out of town is closed – road improvements that include blasting! Good job we were planning to stay the night anyway! We have a wander around, a beer and a quick stop in a very quirky second hand shop. Our route to the West Coast is via the Buller Gorge and thankfully the road is open the next day. We stop along the road at a viewpoint just to get an idea of the gorge. It is not as Don remembers but I imagine that there has been a great deal of change to the road layout to ensure driver safety over the years. We finally arrive on the West Coast at Westport where we stay the night, after having two amazingly good Venison Pies from the West Coast Pie Company. Oh boy were they good! https://westcoastpies.co.nz/