John Crick
South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Punakaiki ▷
5.0/5
After a good whack of years, this is a day encountering wagon-wheels, and so, we're trundling on a gem of an early West-Coast winter-day, feeling the magic kicking-in.
Golden Sands Horse and Wagon Tours
And what comes flowing is a great big feeling of “YES.”
After a lifetime offering hundreds of thousands of hurtling kilometres in planes/cars/choppers/motor-bikes and more......here's this...gentle, charming way to go.
Boring? It is not. It just feels rather like receiving a gift to wonder at. A way of travel that, if it has ever happened to me before, is long forgotten. The mellow-feeling will last for all of the two hours together, and two days after, giving smiles as I write this.
We travelled with the bonniest little crew you could meet. Duke is the steady clydesdale, with his mate Jasper beside him, (not between shafts). Pearl the well-trained, eager & friendly dog, whooping ahead, circling, loving life. Sophie, our driver and guide is purposeful, seeing all, but turning around briefly to us, as she tells the tales. We'd got to know her back at the meeting-place, as she'd prepared, then given us the safety side, and so away.
Time to study rocks, maybe? The big empty beach.
Then tucker time, a little campfire, tea and our chance to maybe cook a little damper to perfection? Or.
Heading back, our speed is varied for fun - and according to the surface. We pause here and there, the horses drink and so it goes.
I'd love to ride the wagon again.
If not, I'll remember.
The feeling overall?...One of calm.
Beautiful and slow. Just great to have a go.