Friday 6th April, 2012
Hokitika to Cromwell with the glaciers in between
State Highway 6; 465 kmSo it wasn't that bad, spending the night in the van. I was really tired anyway. Then again, with the very quiet surrounding, who will stir in their sleep?
It was suggested that a night in Hokitika should include a walk to the glow worm dell where you can see these unusual creatures from a distance of only a few metres away. I have seen glow worms before, in one of the caves in Mulu National Park, so I was not that excited about that here.
After breakfast, we began our second day at 8 am. This is going to be a long day and it seem like there are so many interesting places to see today. The day was fine, and the distance mountains visible from the road added to the pleasant start.
While the all yellowish brown autumn grassland and stoney hills views dominating yesterday's journey, today we were driving through a lush green forest. An hour into the drive, we arrived at Lake Lanthe. Early morning mists were still floating above the clear water of the lake, perfect for practising my photography skill, if at all. So here are a couple to share.
From Lake Lanthe, it took us about 45 minutes to get to what for me was one of the most spectacular destinations in our road trip, the Franz Josef Glacier, named after Emperor Franz Josef of Austria. To experience it fully, you just have to be there yourself. We chose what seem to be the closer and shorter walk to view the glacier. What we didn't know was that this would take us on an uphill walk right to the viewing platform, Sentinel Rock. With my basic DSLR camera, I only managed to capture the view from the distance. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the view, and for just being there. This was my first close proximity experience with a glacier, well as close as that lookout point allowed anyway, but it was amazing nevertheless!
Half an hour drive from Franz Josef Glacier, we arrived at Fox Glacier township, which offers an intimate 'village' experience than its neighbour Franz Josef. We stopped for a quick bite and coffee and before heading off to the glacier, had a quick look in small shop that was also an information centre. And like any eager tourist, I bought some souvenirs, too.
New Zealand is a place for outdoor adventure. It offers some amazing opportunities for nature lovers to enjoy the beauty of the country, tramping, cycling, hitch-hiking ... and whatever you do, it's always good to have a bar, or three, of chocolate in your backpack. Enough energy is important, whatever your excuse!
Likewise, taking care of your skin is also important. Our skin can dry out easily when it is very cold. I found some skincare products made from the Rotorua thermal mud. I used the hand creme during the trip and it worked very well. I will try the other products when I get back to Adelaide and will let you know if they work just as well.
It was 3.5km from the village to Fox Glacier. We were still high from our first glacier, and driving into the car park area, we were immediately greeted by rushing rivers in between two imposing mountains. Silently, we decided that we will walk as close as we could this time. This one seem to be like an easy reach, from the car park we could see parts of the glacier, so off we went ... Our viewing point was a 20 minutes relatively easy walk. It was very satisfying. A guided walk on the glacier is recommended if you have the time and want to experience more.
Lake Matheson is 5km west of Fox Glacier. I read (and saw pictures) about the stunning reflection of Mount Cook on this one of the 101 Must-Dos for Kiwis destinations. Sadly to say, we missed the turn to the lake. I just had to mention it here because if you found yourself driving along this part of New Zealand one day, do not miss the turn!
After Fox, we didn't stop much except for a coffee break in Haast Village. A mobile cafe was closing up around 3pm, and that made it seem like the afternoon is slipping away rather quickly. Times flies when you're having fun!
Continuing on the scenic road over Haast Pass, the southern getaway to the West Coast, we arrived at the Blue Pools Walk, located within the World Heritage listed Mount Aspiring National Park. The drive to here was approximately one and a half hours from Haast Village. It is another must-see highlights in this wilderness region. It features a gravel path and boardwalks that wind through a native silver beech forest and lead to a swing bridge strung high above the Makarora River.
The above is not a scene of a natural occurrences, rather being made by visitors like me. Don't ask me why anyone would do that. I don't even know why I did my pile of rocks. I guessed we human being have some funny ideas about fun. Someone started it, and that late afternoon I saw hundreds of them standing silently on the river bed.We left the Blue Pools to continue our journey south. From the map spread out on my lap I know there were at least two big lakes ahead of us. I was hoping that there would still be enough sun light for pictures.
Above and below: Lake Hawea. I seem to miss taking pictures of Lake Wanaka. Better luck next time, I hope!
We arrived in Cromwell around 7pm and it was already dark. I took this picture the following morning. So I missed the warm welcome at the entrance of this seemingly fruity town.
After asking for direction in a local shop, we found our camp site and since it was already dark, we decided to eat out. Or rather, in the restaurant within the camp site area. Though it was good not to have the hassle of preparing dinner in the smallest kitchen in the van, the dinner in the restaurant was not much to be desired. I had a fisherman basket, some over-fried seafood items that was tasteless. The service was slow, too. Anyway, I told myself that I was in a camping trip and the luxury of homemade food should not be expected, at any time. After dinner, I could only think about sleep and I did just that.
A part of Cromwell, from across Lake Dunstan, taken early the following morning.
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