Before going north up the West Coast to Glacier Country, we decided to drive an hour south from Haast and see Jackson Bay. Jackson Bay is an old--some would say failed--New Zealand settlement. It was populated largely by non-English speaking and non-farming European immigrants, and its best hope for survival as a town was to build a harbor for trading and communication. However, the government wanted the settlement but didn't want to shell out the harbor money. Most people left the settlement, but a few of the hardiest did stay, and there is a very small town there now. It's right on the ocean, and incredibly picturesque! We got fish and chips at a famous place there called The Cray Pot (so good... so greasy...) and watched the most amazingly dictatorial seagull I've ever seen.
We also got to see some amazing views of the Tasman Sea along the drive, and stopped for a little walk at the Hapuka Estuary, too!