As soon as we were on the road there were snowcapped mountains in view. They were pretty far off, but were a wonderful sight. We drove for about 2 hours until we reached Franz Joseph Glacier. We expected to have about 1 1/2 hours of walking to and from the glacier, but unless you had a guide, you couldn't go all the way to it. It was still a good distance off so we went as far as we could and just took pictures from there. On the way, however, there was a waterfall that made it worth the trip. The rock side looked like slate and the water was misting off it. As we started back for the car, we shopped around for the perfect rocks for mom. They are so unique and I'm trying to keep them all separate.
Back in the car we took of for Fox Glacier. The drive was about 30 minutes and we stopped for a quick bite before starting our hike. The hike was supposed to take us less than an hour in and out, but we decided to climb under the ropes (that kept you from going any further) and get a closer look. It was quite an adventure and we weren't the only ones. Lots of people were doing it. When you see all the rocks and streams we had to cross you'll get an idea of the fun we had. It was a blast and guess what? NO wet feet! We got pretty close to the glacier, but I was only going so far. They wouldn't let you go all the way (well you could if you were stupid enough) because the glacier is really unstable and some people were killed not long ago. There was an opening in the glacier that a big stream was pouring out of and I HAD to get a closer look. We got several pictures and propped the camera on a boulder and set the timer so we could both be in it. :) Fox glacier was by far the best for me. We got pretty close and the size of it ... pictures just won't tell the whole story. We were there for over 1 1/2 hours.
Let me go back for a minute and talk about the roads. They are just 2 lanes and narrow. Everywhere along the way there are bridges that are only one way. We figure we have gone over at least 25+. You pull up and if no one is coming, you go! One of the ends will have the right of way and is marked with signs. We haven't quite figured out the method of how they pick which end goes first. There is NO ONE on the roads and we have only had to wait about 3 times for someone on the other end. - The road to the glaciers was twisty turny switchbacks that would have had mom green in about the first 30 seconds of driving. We had patches yesterday as well that were just crazy mountain curves. The scenery was good, but not great because on the mountain roads you had mountain on one side and bushy stuff on the other. So no real view beyond the road. After the glaciers, we moved along much faster as the roads were not in the mountains as much and the view became better when you actually had something to see. These views were magnificent. The occasional snow capped mountains, but LOTS of sheep grazing and LOTSs of deer farms. Really fun to see them all.
After Fox glacier we then started our trek to our final destination, which was Wanaka Lake. We stopped along side the road and saw two waterfalls that were about a 2 minute walk off the road. I can't begin to describe how beautiful they were and the water was so crystal clear you wanted to just wade in. Too cold tho. We would have stayed longer but there were pesky knats that were biting us. So we took pictures and video then moved on. At the second waterfall, people have stacked flat rocks into little monuments. They were EVERYWHERE! You'll se them in the pictures for today. Really fun!! - Before we reached the lake, we also made a few stops to view the Tasman Sea (sand dune pictures) as the road followed along the coast for some time. Gorgeous because the mountains just stop right at the sea. The good thing about the direction we were going was we hugged the mountain 90% of the way. Not many guard rails here, so it was nice not to be so close to the edge. Once we hit Wanaka Lake it was stunning. In a way reminded me of the Lakes in Italy. Mountains that come right to the edge of the lake. This lake is huge and we followed it for miles. When we made our necessary turn, we then came upon Hawea Lake. Almost as big as Wanaka and also very beautiful. The mountain terrane was a bit different. The cool thing is that the scenery changes constantly and in a flash you are looking at something totally different. The bad thing is that all day it has been overcast and it has begun to sprinkle. Bad photos ops today. You'll see in the pictures. - 30 minutes after we got past Hawea Lake, we were at our final stop for the day in the town of Wanaka which rests at the south end of the Wanaka lake. Our hotel is like a lodge and is fantastic! The owner showed us around, but only briefly because they were getting ready to go see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. :) There is a great place for breakfast with a fireplace, a place to do laundry, a hot tub and our room is great. It is good sized with a view of the lawn which is so green and well manicured. Out for us anytime is tea, coffee and "biscuits" (chocolate chip cookies).
It is about 7pm at this point and we decided just go eat so we could come back and relax. Well, it was Saturday night and this is a pretty good sized little town for this area. I mean today we went probably 100 miles without seeing one house! So when we get back to town (a 2 minute drive) all restaurants are packed. The one we chose had about a 40 minute wait, but there was a chicken dish that sounded really good and we decided to stay. Our 40 minute wait turned into over an hour and our appetizer at the bar settled in and we weren't really hungry anymore and suddenly really tired. We both just picked around on our food and got back to the room well after 9pm. Too bad we didn't just get a pizza or something. Oh well...
It is pouring outside right now. I looked at the forcast and looks like rain all day tomorrow. We might change our itinerary tomorrow if we can. The hotels here don't seem to want to reimburse without notice. Since our Milford Sound cruise got bumped back a day, it will make for a long day from there to Mt. Cook. So we might try to head up to Mt. Cook tomorrow. The weather there looks better, but we'll see what they say about the hotel.
Well it is 11pm and I still need to sift thru the pictures. I took too many to put them all up, so I'll pick the best ones. :)
I can't seem to get the slideshow to cooperate. Until then click on any of the slideshows to open them in Picasa then go to "My Photos" . At least that is what mine says. It should show you all 4 days. See if that works and I'll try later to get the slideshow on. I think it needs time to update because this has happened before. I'll try in the morning again.