Coasters

Westport to Charleston (1x2)

Data di messa in onda: Gen 29, 2011

This week Al starts his coastal journey at the mouth of the mighty Buller River with Westport fisherman Jack Devine. Al's a bit apprehensive about crossing the notorious Westport Bar which has claimed many ships and several lives through the years, but local harbour master Nico Weeda gives him the thumbs up for good weather conditions the next day. Next morning, as the sun rises over Westport, Al and Jack head off over the bar and after steaming for a couple of k's they reach the inshore trawling grounds where they set the net for one of Al's favourite fish, Turbot. Much to Al's delight they manage to catch a few and heading back to the wharf a whitebaiter provides them with a bucket of fresh whitebait, West Coast style. It's the icing on the cake for their breakfast - a Turbot and Whitebait Butty. Al continues his journey, heading along Carters Beach, where he drops in on the Holcim Concrete Works and chats to Brian Thomas, whose family has been working at the plant for three generations. Al crosses paths with his next coaster, DOC Officer John Green at Cape Foulwind, home to a large breeding colony of New Zealand Fur Seals. It was seals that brought the first Europeans to the area and John gives Brownie an insight into the lives of the early settlers, before taking him to a tunnel through granite which was railed to Westport to construct the breakwater. Further south at Okari River Al meets whitebaiter Darryl Kerr who provides the perfect solution to crossing the river in the form of a punt. The final leg of Al's journey is the ninth mile of Nine-Mile Beach, which takes him all the way to historic Charleston, where he meets gold miner Val Currie. This remote coastal town was home to the largest gold rush on the Coast and Val shows Al how it was done at an old gold mining stamper.