Feb 22nd 2016.

THE COAST – MADE FOR TWO!

Our dramatic scenery, fairy tale bird life and secluded beaches make

the perfect backdrop for romantic walks, relaxing retreats... and

some of the most spectacular proposal spots!

Here's a romantic date and getaway we think you'll love...

Take in the Wild Foods Festival on the Saturday, stay in the Cool wee

town of Hokitika and walk on the most amazing beach, enjoy great

food at the home of Pounamu where you can watch the carvers

create.

On Sunday it’s the beauty of the Hokitika Gorge and then walk the

West Coast Tree Top Walkway.

Don’t forget we have no commercial connection to the places and

events shown other than to recommend them to you as Coasters

Club Members. This invitation went out to 29,455 today.

Take a journey with me now and be amazed at the beauty on offer:

YOU ARRIVE AT YOUR LUXURY ACCOMMODATION, RESTAURANT & BAR IN HOKITIKA,STATIONS.

You will find Stations located just 3 minutes from Hokitika township and set on

an elevated terrace amid pristine countryside.

Stations Inn was re-established in 2004 by Hugh and Glenda Little on an

historic site in the Blue Spur goldfields. The Station Hotel was a licensed

establishment in 1867 and was aptly named being the station at the end of the

horse drawn tram track.

The location today offers majestic views of the Southern Alps and the Tasman

Sea. You will enjoy breath taking sunsets from the comfort of our luxurious

executive studio .

Stations Inn accommodation in Hokitika is situated in a tranquil rural setting

just minutes from the Hokitika town centre and offers a choice of either

luxurious executive studio units or premiere king suites, each with a balcony,

outdoor setting and fabulous view. All accommodation boasts quality and

stylish modern decor to make your stay at Stations Inn Hokitika a relaxing and

memorable experience.

The newly completed premiere king suites provide guests with unsurpassed

luxury. These spacious suites each have an ensuite bathroom with spa bath.

The Honeymoon Suite's decor and attention to detail gives this suite an alluring

and romantic ambiance. The luxurious executive studio units, complete with

ensuite bathrooms, are available with King, Queen or Twin King Single beds.

Stations Inn restaurant offers a la carte dining and award winning New Zealand

cuisine. All meals are served with a side dish of stunning New Zealand scenery -

the restaurant offers panoramic views of the Southern Alps mountain range,

the Tasman Sea and the rugged West Coast countryside.

Glenda Little is modest when talking about how the restaurant has won the

Prestigious New Zealand Beef and Lamb excellence award 10 years in a row.

You might like to take a walk along the Hokitika Beach front after the evening

meal.

Saturday the 12th of March is the 2016 Wild Foods day.

Local woman, Claire Bryant, instigated the very first celebration of local wild

food. Her wine cellar was very well stocked with a home brew of West Coast

gorse flower wine and people were clamouring for a taste of her rose petal

brew. So why not a festival celebrating the tastes of the wild West Coast? With

the event coinciding with the 125th anniversary of the birth of Hokitika, in

March 1990, the Festival was born.

And so it eventuated, locals and the rest of New Zealand were captured by the

magic of the idea - a celebration of Hokitika and the wild foods of the West

Coast. Since then, the Wildfoods Festival has become an iconic and premier

special event in New Zealand driven for many years by our very own Mike

Keenan, ”Mr Wild foods” until 2014.

New wild foods are introduced every year, with the festival exhibiting an

assortment of crazy and creative foods. Festival-goers have the opportunity to

try crocodile bites, chicken feet, grasshoppers, colostrum cheesecake,

mountain oysters and the infamous stallion protein shots.

Fried Crows Legs Costumes for Africa.

The 2016 Wild foods have 5 sell out entertainers.

Katie Thompson Smash Box

MCS ZMS Fletch Vaughan & Megan The Black Seed

Tunes of I

This year the after event party has been reintroduced and Arcee,Jupiter

Project,Mikael Wills,Smash Box and Pea Stew will entertain you into the small

hours of Sunday.

On Sunday your off to the West Coast Treetop Walkway & Café based 15

minutes drive south of Hokitika. An exhilarating treetop adventure among

temperate rainforest giants. Experience life with the birds high in the ancient

Rimu and Kamahi tree canopy. Easy access for all to enjoy along a steel

platform 20 metres high and over 450 metres long.

It’s a leisurely 45 minute to one hour stroll through the beautiful West Coast

rainforest tree tops.

Then it’s out through the farming settlement of Kowhitirangi to the Hokitika

Gorge.

The scenery at the Gorge is breath-taking. It is a stunning walk down to the

Suspension Bridge where the water is the most amazing blue and you can see

the trout through the crystal clear water. You will love the quiet and the trees

and just the serenity of the Gorge.

The almost unbelievably blue river water as it carries its load of rock flour to

the sea is truly impressive. You won’t put your camera away as every twist in

the river gives great shots. Added to this the lovely birdsong echoing off the

valley walls can be magical. The light on the water is perfect and hopefully just

you there to enjoy it.

Now it’s time to shop in Hokitika.

For many New Zealanders Pounamu, also known as NZ Jade or greenstone, is

more than a souvenir - it has a treasured spiritual significance. Pounamu is

found in many places on the West Coast and is prized for its strength,

durability and beauty. Historically it was used by Maori for weapons, tools and

personal ornaments and it also denoted great status. These days its beauty is

still well appreciated as it is found in many West Coast shops and galleries. The

Arahura River in Jade Country just north of Hokitika is the birthplace of

pounamu.

Today you are also able to visit what we believe is the world’s only museum of

vintage sock knitting machines, run by Jacquie Grant in Hokitika, New Zealand.

Jacquie has spent a lifetime collecting vintage mechanical textile equipment,

particularly sock knitting machines. Her collection primarily consists of hand

cranked machines, intended for home or cottage industry, but also several fully

automated industrial machines. The hand cranked machines were popular in

the early part of the 20th Century, and were typically sold as a “work from

home” scheme for the housewife, the idea being that you would buy the

machine, and then sell the socks back to the company. This business model

was apparently not very economical once there was no longer a war on, and

the sock machine companies used various scams to keep people buying their

machines even when they could no longer afford to buy the socks back.

How about a visit to the Gold Room where you get to meet Barry Rooney the

owner.

His philosophy,when creating jewellery with natural gold, is to leave the

nuggets in their original state, preserving the unique raw forms from the

ground.

When developing the natural gold nuggets and gold flakes into beautiful

jewellery that is not only different but very wearable, many of the innovative

designs incorporate prized gemstones, elegant gold work and of course

imagination. Each piece of beautiful jewellery is designed to express the

nuggets own individual character.

No visit to Hokitika is complete without a visit to the Westland Industrial

Heritage Park

The Industrial Park was formed to save the last remaining industrial type relics

that shaped the Westland District into what it is today, engines that drove

sawmills, trucks and equipment that “constructed” the West Coast. The aim is

to restore this heritage to working order and present it to the local district,

visitors, tourists and like minded groups and individuals. The Park is involved

with local A& P shows, parades, displays and specialty events.

Location: 2nd road on the right on the way up to the Hokitika airport.

Mike Rooney (President) 755 6688

Ian Gilbertson (Secretary) 755 7438

Ray Schimanski (Treasurer) 755 7451

Neal Houston 755 6775

Jim Staton 0274 433 551

Meet Jim Staton or call him on 0274 433 551

Only on the Coast do we finish the call for a romantic week end with photos of

chainsaws from ages gone.

Thanks for reading our invitation and we look forward to your return home to

the Coast.

Bruce Smith

The Coasters Club