Day 20 Discover Hokitika Meet local artists

Meals included: B D

Breakfast: Served at the hotel featuring hot and cold dishes beginning at 7am.

Morning: Around 9:30am, we’ll set off for the Hokitika Gorge, arriving around 10am after a 30-minute private motorcoach ride. Depending on the weather, the water of the gorge may be an illuminating turquoise hue surrounded by lush forests. Long sleeves and pants are highly recommended for this visit as sand flies can be present, especially the closer you get to the water. Then, we’ll depart around 11:30am for our hotel, arriving about 30 minutes later in time for lunch.

Lunch: On your own in Hokitika around noon. You can ask your Trip Experience Leader for dining recommendations.

Afternoon: At about 1pm, our small group will set out either on foot or by coach, depending on the weather, to discover Hokitika. Sights will include Hokitika Theatre, Carnegie Library Building, and Seddon House.

Then, around 2pm, we’ll walk about 15 minutes to visit Possum People, a New Zealand furrier business established in 1969. Here we’ll meet self-proclaimed “Possum People” Peter and Carol Gray for a conversation about the government’s use of 1080 poison to eradicate New Zealand’s surplus possum population.

At about 2:45pm, we'll take a short walk to a local jade shop where we'll see a jade carving demonstration, and we'll learn about the symbolism of this art to the local Maori. Afterwards, we’ll visit the Hokitika Craft Gallery to meet an artist who is part of the local art collective and view the works in the gallery, ranging from paintings and woodcarvings to ceramics and clothing.

We'll walk back to the hotel around 4pm; the rest of the afternoon is at your leisure.

Dinner: We'll enjoy dinner at a local pub tonight, joined by our hosts.

Evening: Your evening is free to enjoy Hokitika. Perhaps you’ll relax at the hotel, or stay at the pub and enjoy a drink with fellow travelers.

5/16/23

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