The morning after our walk out to the stranded whales, news was scarce. We waited, hoping for updates, but information trickled in slowly. What we learned, unfortunately, was that if rescue efforts were to continue, anyone helping would need a wetsuit. Without one, there was little we could meaningfully contribute on the water.
We pivoted and chose to explore further, driving back toward Farewell Spit, then turning southwest to follow the West Coast of New Zealand all the way to the end of the road. Of course, we weren’t entirely sure where such a trip would reach. More likely than not, we’d be stopped by river crossings. But we decided to try anyway.
Our first stop was Whanganui Inlet, which we circumnavigated before continuing south. The landscape grew wilder, the road narrower, and the sense of remoteness deeper.
When we reached our first river, we pulled up, got out, and did what everyone does—stood there humming and hawing, sizing up the water, weighing optimism against common sense. After a pause, I walked into the ford to test it. The water was cold, moving steadily, but seemingly manageable. At that point, I decided: what the heck. It wasn’t the same choice my 79 and 80-year-old parents would have made that day, but certainly something they would have jumped at in earlier years. I went for it.
Despite not driving in Codiwompler, our overlanding rig (codiwompler.com), our 2013 Subaru Outback handled it beautifully. Calm, steady, no drama. Sometimes, capability comes in smaller, shorter sizes.
Our next ford was 10 km later. Again, I walked across. It wasn’t clear we could even go much further after this. The road on the map had already disappeared shortly after our last river crossing. However, after successfully crossing the last river, it really seemed that it would be a pity to give up now. And so, we forded our second, even longer and slightly deeper river. Unfortunately, immediately after crossing, the road really did come to an end. Even Codiwompler would be unlikely to conquer the sand dune that stood in our way. So, at the end of the road, having gone further than most people even attempt, grateful for the freedom to explore, we turned around. We retraced our steps, grateful for landscapes that invite both humility and courage, and for the small reminder that sometimes the right response to uncertainty is simply to keep moving.
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