The south west coast bares the brunt of all the weather systems that hit New Zealand, with massive rainfall exceeding 5 meters per year. This is a recipe for deep, lush rainforest and rivers that cascade down steep valleys, frequently flooding to terrifying levels. If you manage to get hit a rare break in the weather, it's time to pack your stuff and get there. This was the case for us as we decided last minute to make the long slog up the west coast, we quickly packed and left at dawn. Unfortunately being in such a haste means things get missed, with Jakub leaving his remote control drone on the roof of his car as we took off in the morning darkness, never to be seen again.
