Had an amazing drive here from Te Anau, stopping a number of times to admire more gorgeous scenery. We actually stopped in Wanaka for lunch and then had a one night stay in a little cabin on a campsite on the shore of Lake Wahea, which is nearby Wanaka. It was an absolutely gorgeous spot to rest our bodies before another 4 hour drive to Franz Josef.
Left Lake Wahea about 9am and set off for Franz Josef, although we are actually staying at a place called Okarito which is about 30 mins further on. It was another majestic drive, more lakes, mountains, rain forests, waterfalls and our first sight of the dramatic west coastline. It’s certainly a lot more green and lush on this side of the island, almost feels like being in the rain forests of South America (not that I’ve been there yet).
Had a quick lunch in Franz Josef and checked out the small but decent supermarket in the town. It’s a nice little place, obviously a big hub for people wanting to explore the glaciers and trek through the national parks. Arrived at our Airbnb and we were pleasantly surprised with it. Definitely better than the photos and description, we’ll be happy here for the next few days.
Day 1 in Franz Josef we went on a guided walking trip into the national park for about 3 hours. It was very enjoyable, learned a lot about the geology of the area and the native plants, got some great views of the Franz Josef glacier, which is fast disappearing. Our guide Jake was a young man with a great attitude and sense of humour; I hope the young man goes on to have a great life.
So our last day in Franz Josef, and we went up in a helicopter to see the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers, basically they are massive rivers of ice created over millions of years, but constantly changing. We were supposed to land on the top to see the summits of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, but unfortunately this wasn’t possible due to too much cloud, even so it was a spectacular thing to do. It’s always a hazard, so be prepared if booking helicopter rides in advance, you may not get the full experience.
We then went on a couple of short walks which were tame in comparison but nice all the same
Left our little place in Okarito, near Franz Josef which was very nice and head for Greymouth on the western coast to stay for one night in a motel there called the Sundowner. On the way we stopped at a place called Hokitika, a nice little town on the west coast, but more famous for it’s spectacular river and gorge which is about 30 minutes drive inland. It really is worth the detour to visit this place, really gorgeous place.
From there it was onwards to Greymouth, which was a weird little place because it was so quiet. Checked into our motel which was quite nice and then strolled into town, and found almost nothing was open. It was a Sunday to be fair, but even so it was like being back in a town in the 1950’s, or being on the Isle of Wight.
Anyway we finally found somewhere to eat which was actually quite nice the Ale House near Greymouth station. Here are some images of the day.
