November 27, 2015 Greymouth, Punakaiki NZ

Short drive from Franz Josef up the coast to Greymouth.

Now, not forgetting that we are on the main road and single lane, one-way bridges are normal, it came as a bit of a surprise to be faced with one just south of Greymouth that was not only single-lane but one that we shared with the train as well.

One lane plus train bridge. Grey mouth NZ

We were early for checking, so we decided to take the 45km drive further up the cost to Punakaiki to look at something described as 'pancake rocks and geysers'.

Fortunately, the rain cleared long enough for us to take the 20 minute walk around the path out onto the headland to view what turned out to be quite extraordinary rock formations.

Pancake rocks. Punakaiki NZ

Pancake rocks. Punakaiki NZ

Pancake rocks. Punakaiki NZ

Pancake rocks. Punakaiki NZ

Pancake rocks. Punakaiki NZ

The only other thing to see was the Cavern, a few hundred metres down the road. It's a cave that anyone can walk into, and provided you have a torch, go in a few hundred metres. or not. I made myself useful by holding the rocks up while others got past.

The Cavern. Pancake rocks. Punakaiki NZ

When we made it back to Greymouth, we were just in time for a quick pint at the Alehouse before going to the motel and sorting out dinner, which was as difficult as walking across the road to the other pub in town.

Brian enjoying a mouthful of peanuts and a 'handle' of cider. Grey mouth NZ

November 26, 2015 Franz Josef NZ

Today is glacier day and we are treated with grey skies, but not actually raining. We have to eat breakfast out this morning, so its about 10am or so before we head toward the carpark. As we are crossing the river, a minor miracle happens. See photo below:

Peeking through the clouds. Franz Josef Glacier NZ

What's this? Could it be a break in the clouds? Is that the sun and is it actually shining on just the glacier?

We get more and more excited as we get closer to the carpark.

Franz Josef Glacier NZ

Franz Josef Glacier NZ

The trail from the carpark starts of through a bit of a rainforest, so the view is obscured right until you top a small rise and them - Wham!

Franz Josef Glacier NZ

Now isn't that one of the prettiest sights you've ever seen? The trail eventually spills out onto the moraine left from the million years of reaching glacier and you walk along the valley floor on a rough formed path where 10,000 have already walked before (and that's just this month).

The moraine covered floor the valley. Franz Josef Glacier NZ

You can't help but stop and grab the odd snap of things other than the glacier as it's now obscured around the bend

Lichen and moss covered rocks. Franz Josef Glacier NZ

Fabulous waterfalls. Franz Josef Glacier NZ

Rocks that have been gouged as the glacier moved past. Franz Josef Glacier NZ

Moraine and snow-melt river. Franz Josef Glacier NZ

After about 2km the end of the track and the viewing point for the glacier are coming into view. That last few hundred metres is a bit of a slog as you climb over the huge heaps of dumped rocks - but then, you are there, face-to-face with the ablation zone and terminus of a glacier.

Snout of the Franz Josef Glacier NZ

Look at the colour of the ice! It's blue because glacial ice is so highly compacted that it absorbs every colour except blue. 'They say', that if you put a chunk of glacier ice into a glass of water, it would expand so fast and with so much power that it would shatter the glass. Sounds like one for Myth Busters.

This was all glacier back in 1970. Franz Josef Glacier NZ

Franz Josef Glacier NZ

The ice as it comes over the last 'fall'. Franz Josef Glacier NZ

Franz Josef Glacier NZ

So there you are, a real glacier. And yes, at the moment it is receding, but it is known as a cyclic glacier and may well start advancing again, dependant on the snowfall over the next five years in the 20 square km catchment area.

November 25, 2015 Haast & Fox Glacier NZ

Wow, how different each day is. Yesterday was fantastic, today its cloudy and rainy again. We are heading out this morning, going toward Franz Josef Glacier.

But first we have the big Alpine climb over the pass from Queenstown to Cardrona, which is steep and twisty and sheer drops on every side. Nice enough views though and then it levels out for the run through to Wanaka, which is on the edge of a lake of the same name. We chose not to stop, just take a drive around as we have a fair way to go and the weather is turning dirty.

By the time we reach Makarora there is no visibility, we are driving through a cloud, and we are basically at sea level. Hard to imagine that there are towering mountains all-round, we just can't see them. We stop at the Makarora Country Cafe for a coffee and rest before we take on the Haast Pass. The cafe is decked out in lots of timber panelling and has a huge collection of number-plates decorating the walls, the ceiling, the beams...

Then its back out into the pouring rain and off to the pass. Now, based on nothing more than the name, 'Pass' and the fact that its in the middle the southern alps, we both expected a proper Alpine pass as we had experienced earlier. But no, it only climbs about a 100 metres and is nothing much. Sure the road is narrow enough, lots of one-lane bridges and near u-turns, but it was a bit of an anti-climax. In the middle is this fabulous bridge called the Haast Gates, spanning a raging torrent, and despite he rain, you've just got to stop and get out and have a look.

Haast Gate, Haast Pass NZ

Haast Pass NZ

Haast Pass NZ

Eventually we arrive in Haast itself and we are looking out for the whitebait shop to satisfy our curiosity regarding this New Zealandish curiosity: the whitebait fritter. About the only thing we could find through the grey was the pub with a huge sign declaring that whitebait was available, so in we went. Now, i have to say that there isn't anything much nicer than walking in from the cold and rain into a big friendly comfortable pub with a huge fire burning in the grate. We ordered coffee and the 'whitebait teaser'. The coffee came and went and we waited and waited. Finally I went to enquire only to find that the dipsy girl at the bar hadn't actually posted the order. Not to worry, it came out in a hamburger style in just a few minutes and was, well bland to boring.

Outside pub. Haast Pass NZ

Inside pub. Haast Pass NZ

Disappointed, we left, but as soon as we turned the corner out of town, we found the real Whitebait shop, which is down someones driveway and out the back. We gave the humble whitebait fritter a second chance. This time the cook showed us the fish slurry and poured some out on the hot hot BBQ plate and threw on a slice of bread as well.  In a few minutes he put the fritter on the single sided toast,  added mint sauce and P&S. We tasted. It had more flavour and seemed a little less like an omelette than the first one, but again, it just didn't turn us on. The big black dog seemed to enjoy the end of my piece...

Whitebait Capital of the world. Haast NZ

Finished in the traditional WestCoast style with mint sauce.  Haast NZ

This one's for Lauren & Daniel. Whitebait Capital of the world. Haast NZ

On and on we went, finally coming to the turn off to Fox Glacier, scene of a tragic helicopter accident just last week, in which seven people died. You drive about 5 km up the river bed, park up and then walk 60 minutes to the viewing platform. The glacier is claimed to be 200 m past the viewing platform. Given that we had been on the road 6 1/2 hours and it was raining hard and you couldn't see 100 m in front of you due to the cloud, we decided not to.

Theres a whole mountain and glacier up there, somewhere. Fox Glacier NZ

Looking back down the river bed. Fox Glcier NZ

I was expecting to find some tribute to those that lost their lives in the accident, including the pilot, but except for a single bunch of wild flowers we saw a passing lady place at the turn-off, there was nothing.

Franz Josef is only 25k past Fox, but it took us 40 minutes to get there, the conditions were so poor. We did a drive-by of the Franz Josef glacier carpark before going to our motel, some 5km on the other side of the town of Franz Josef.

We had a look around town at the few trinket shops and checked out the various eateries as possibles for dinner. On our way around we found the Glacier Hot Pools which feature in all the brochures.

At the hot pools we found something much nicer than a fire: an outside private pool for 2 with fabulous bathroom and change room, all set in an unreal rainforest setting. We soaked ourselves for an hour, and after 7 1/2 hours, it was bliss.

To finish the day we went to the Speights inn for dinner, ate too much, again.

November 24, 2015 Queenstown & Aroowtown, NZ

Today turned out to be a cracker: almost clear sky, sunny, warm (25), no wind... Almost perfect.

First thing then is to get up to the Gondola ride up to Bobs Peak above the town, and while we're there we might as ell have a go on the Luge as well.

Judy enjoying the ride on the gondola. Queenstown NZ

Up and up, 490 metres vertical climb.750m long. Queenstown NZ

The view isn't bad at the top. Queenstown NZ

My mum & dad came here in 1976. Queenstown NZ

So we had to try and recreate the snap. Queenstown NZ

On to the Luge. You walk down a bit to the start where you grab a helmet and then catch the ski-lift up to the start of the track. They are cunning, the ski lift also automatically picks up two luges at a time and takes them as well. At the top, there are two Luge runs: the Blue beginners track and the Red track. All newbies have to do the Blue track first, and what a great little track it is, fast enough and lots of corners to play around with. As we had a two ride package, naturally we went for the Red track next, only to be disappointed: its quite a bit steeper but not as much fun and its all over in a few seconds. It was also all over for my beloved Canon when i dropped it a metre and half onto the concrete - sad days.

Start of the ski-lift and end of the luge ride. Queenstown NZ

Ski-lift up to the start of the luge. Queenstown NZ

Luge track. Queenstown NZ

Last bits of both luge tracks. Queenstown NZ

We then returned to the car park via the gondola.  pretty good fun all-round.

From gondolas we drove the 15km out to Arrowtown, know for the preservation of part of the original 1840's gold mining street, and for 'world famous pies'. We had a wander around, and had the obligatory pie for lunch, which have to admit was pretty good as afar as pies go. Further wanderings around checking out the innumerable trinket shops and then I took myself into the museum, which is in and under the old Bank of NZ building. A really well set out and presented collection of all the usual pioneer, old-world and gold mining stuff.

Arrow town NZ

Arrow town NZ

Arrow town NZ 

Arrow town NZ 

Arrow town NZ

We elected to come back to town via the 'other' road, which as happenstance would have it, goes right past the Shooter Jet facility. Sorry kids, what was left of your inheritance Judy spent on a jet boat ride for me. These are of course THE Shotover jet boats on the Shooter river. There are heaps of others but they are all tame; this is the real deal. The shooter river is very fast flowing, narrow, rocky and has steins of rapid and sand flats. The boat just launches itself at the river, its two 370hp V8s roaring their heads of. We flash through the gorges, literally half-a-metre from the rocky walls, and burst out onto the flats, where we are delighted with 360degree spins and flying along over almost no water at 80kph. If you ever get to Queenstown in NZ, do not miss this.

Spot the hero. Shooter Jetboats. Queenstown NZ

November 22, 2015 Queenstown NZ

Just a short run today from Te Anau to Queenstown. Last bit after you reach Lake Wakatipu is fairly scenic, with a few lookouts to stop and take snaps if you feel inclined.

Lake Wakatipu NZ 

Lake Wakatipu NZ

Lake Wakatipu NZ

We found our place easily enough: it's right on the lake just out of the city centre. Pretty damn nice actually, and the view from the picture windows is, well, a picture.

View from Villa Del Lago, Queenstown NZ

We had to go and get food, so we ventured down town, which may have been a mistake: it's just crawling with backpackers and other seedy looking characters. I mean, it's wall to wall people all looking for a free feed or place to stay or some action, or whatever. Bit disappointing really, it could be such a beautiful town with lovely parks and walkways right on the lake. But wait, there's worse, namely the old camp ground, and the new campground which happen to be next to each other. One has a ring of old bachs, really old, dilapidated two room things, all fully occupied.

The new park has about 10,000 camper vans of all sizes parked in it and it just looks awful.


One highlight was watching this mother duck with her 8 chicks trying to get back out on the lake from the pebbly beach.. All but 2 chicks made it, but they just couldn't get over the ripples and ended up back on shore where they flopped down exhausted. Mother duck came back with her brood to rescue them and they retired further up the beach.

Ducks. Queenstown NZ

Ducks. Queenstown NZ

Anyhow, town is not for us so we grabbed our grub and went back to our, by comparison, very ultra luxurious and palatial villa. Its just like the ones on the edge of Lake Garda in Italy, except not 400 years old.