If you were to ask some people to name two glaciers they would name the Franz Joseph and Fox glaciers in New Zealand, these are two of the largest glaciers in the world and most visited because of their accessibility. The closest glacier to us was the Franz Joseph so this was our starting point. From the parking spot it was an hour's round trip walk to the glacier face so John and I set off to do the walk. The wind was in our faces blowing cold air towards us and it was getting rather damp. It was not possible to walk right up to the foot of the glacier as this is roped off due to the danger of ice falls. We went nearly to the end and it was an amazing feeling seeing this huge amount of ice slowly crawling down between the mountains. The glacier has significantly reduced over the years. On the road up to the glacier there are marker posts showing where the glacier was in 1935 then in the 70's, the distance from the 1930s marker to where the glacier is today must be at least a mile so it is concerning just how much this has reduced. Walking back to the car park was somewhat easier as the wind was behind us and the chill was out the air. We made it back just in time before the rain set in and it continued for the rest of the day.
After lunch we went to the Fox glacier and for those who have read this blog before they will not be surprised to know that for the second time this trip the pink poncho came into its own. It was the first time our travelling companions had seen this amazing item of clothing and their faces were a picture of undisguised envy - well, that is the way I interpreted it!
Fox glacier is in a more dramatic situation that Franz Joseph. Running alongside the cliff face as you approach the glacier is a stream which carries clumps of ice which have broken off from the glacier face. these look like huge ice cubes you could put into a giant's Gin and Tonic and are the coldest blue you have ever seen. John and I set off for the face of the glacier along with quite a few others. Some were in groups and were clearly going for a more adventures trip than we were. They were all clad in matching waterproof outfits (in rather dull colours I thought, not a single pink amongst them) and carrying back packs, some with ice picks. John and I had considered signing up for one of these walks but had thankfully decided against it as they all looked fit, young, determined and sartorially challenged - not our look at all.There is something magical and mysterious about both these glaciers. To imagine that they are moving rivers of water forcing and squeezing their way down the valley where water should be flowing with such force that they can carve horizontal lines in the rock face is quite mind blowing. Definitely an experience not to be missed.
Our next stop on the journey was at Haast. On odd little township in the middle of nowhere, named after the chap who had named the glacier after Emperor Franz Joseph! Because of its isolation we had phoned ahead for the camp site and our first impression was not great, which was then confirmed when we arrived. The manager, lacking a certain charm, had been very clear that those staying in the cabins, Kath, Syd and Jackie, should not share their resources with those in the campervans, John and I. Jackie was suffering with a cold so had booked into the cabin too. At bed time she could not find pillows and towels so had come to to the van to collect hers to use. She was spotted carrying her bedding and the next morning was cross-examined by the manager who had clearly been spying all night for any infringements. All very strange.
Our journey the following day was to Queenstown and what a journey that was. The scenery here is amazing and there was one part of the road where the peaks on either side of the road were so covered in trees they looked like enormous heads of broccoli on an enormous green grocers stall. It was impossible to see through them they were so tightly clustered together. We went over rivers where the water was crystal clear and like glass it looked so cold. The road wound alongside great gorges where trees had lost their grip and slid down leaving a swathe of exposed earth which looked barren and as if nothing would ever grow there again, but I am sure it will. Generally, fields are full of either cows or sheep but, surprisingly, we also saw a great many deer being farmed for venison which seems to be a recent departure for some farmers. NZ is never boring, there is always something to see and it is always bigger and better than what has gone before.Queenstown is amazing, it is like a huge bowl in the kink of Lake Wakatipu, with houses studded around the mountain side and everyone seems to have a magnificent view. We had decided to stay here a couple of days to enable us to stock up and book our trip to Milford Sound. It was while here that we heard of the dreadful earthquake in Christchurch, needless to say the TV coverage has been about little else and we all felt so concerned and worried not only for the poor people of Christchurch who were dealing with this disaster but for our family and friends who were going to be anxious about our safety. So emails were flying everywhere to reassure our loved ones.
John and I decided to take a trip on the cable car up to the summit of the mountain behind us. It was incredible, not as good as the sky train in Cairns but equally scarey for it is a near vertical ascent. For those who are unaware, Queenstown is the home of extreme sports in NZ. At the top of the mountain just about every extreme sport was available. There was paragliding, bungee jumping, luge (on concrete, not nice) and drinking their over-sweet hot chocolate. In the afternoon, Jackie, Kath and I went into town to do shopping and booked our trip to Milford Sound. We decided to do the whole thing; the longer boat journey with barbecue lunch and then a trip to the Discovery Centre. There is very little accommodation in Milford so we also booked into a place called Knobs Flat (about an hour or so from Milford) for two nights. The journey to Knobs Flat gave us more of the most splendid scenery. This time there were more rivers which again looked wonderful but very very cold. We stopped at Mirror Lakes, where the water was crystal clear and so still, it reflected the mountains and woodland in the mirror-like water; we drove alongside the longest lakes which make the Lake district in England look like a series of small ponds, we were all seduced by the wonder of it all. As we approached Knobs Flats, we were initially dismayed by the look of the accommodation however, on closer acquaintance, the cabin was just lovely and had everything you could want and we were able to park the camper van very near so we were fine too. There was also a 'Bush Bath', two old enamel baths served by a gas boiler and hotwater cylinder, out in the open but screened discreet foliage. We didn't try it out but a young couple did, we think but we couldn't quite see...
The site was run by a rather eccentric chap who was keen to keep everything as close to nature as possible. He had just heard that the local council wanted to put up a permanently illuminated warning sign by the roadside and he was furious about it. So he disappeared off to town to take them to task, I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up winning.
After a comfortable overnight stay we headed off to Milford Sound. To get there the road ascends a long valley and for the last bit you have to go through a really long tunnel which is only one way and very roughly hewn out of the rock. We had been told to stop immediately on exiting the tunnel as there is a layby just there which affords the most remarkable view and this proved to be so true. In the far distance there were snow topped mountains and in the near distance there were valleys and sheer rock faces rising into the sky. Spread out at our feet was the view of the twisty winding road we had to traverse to continue on our way, it was both breath-taking and rather daunting at the same time.
We had been blessed with wonderful weather, it was crisp, clear and the sun was shining. On boarding the boat we were looking forward to magnificent views and we were not disappointed. To try to describe Milford Sound will not do it justice. The cliff faces soar into the air with small waterfalls tumbling down the rocks every few yards, or so it seems. There are also several large falls which the captain of the boat very cleverly steered the boat right in to, soaking a party of school children in the bow as he did so. We were on the top deck and got a good drenching from the spray too. We travelled the whole length of the Sound emerging into the Tasman sea where we were able to see just how disguised and small the entrace to Milford Sound is and why Captain Cook did not see that there was an entrance from the sea and the wonders beyond. It was a Welsh captain called Grono whose ship was driven by a storm, onto the rocks as he thought but he just happened to strike lucky and popped through the entrance into the beautiful shelter. He named it Milford Haven, only much later was it renamed a Sound.We stopped at the Milford Sound Discovery Centre where you could go down to an observation platform about ten metres below the surface to see the fish and coral life of the sound. As Milford Sound is fed by many fresh water rivers and yet opens out to the sea, it consists of two layers of water, the top being fresh water and the bottom salt. This combination supports a diverse range of marine life and plants which we were able to see in the comfort of the centre. This was for me an experience not to be missed. We were also fortunate that both on the boat and in the centre we had knowledgable and entertaining guides who kept us informed and interested in what we were seeing. If you go to NZ, Milford Sound is a 'must do'.
On the way back from Knobs Flat we stopped at a charming lakeside town called Te Anau. We pulled up by the lakeside for lunch and spent a very pleasant hour watching the boats and a seaplane coming and going. The town is well known as the gateway to Fiordland and Milford in particular.
Sadly our time with our chums was coming to an end so it was back to Queenstown as they had planes to catch to leave NZ. As a last 'adventure' together we spent a couple of hours in the old gold prospecting Arrowtown. We had an hour of (unsuccessful!) panning for gold in the river before an early lunch and then off to the airport. We have had such an amazing time together and I hope they enjoyed the experience as much as we have. We are now just the two of us for the coming week so lets see what adventures we can get up to in the rest of NZ.
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