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Published: January 19th 2013
Haast Lodge
The Haast end of nowhere!Well... now the true road trip begins! After dropping John and Andrea off at the airport for their flight back to Perth we start the long journey back to Auckland. Today we are heading towards the West Coast. We are staying in Haast ....Only about 160km away but terrible weather!
Long drive from Queenstown through torrential rain storms, across the Southern Alps, Wanaka township & Lake Howea. Imagine looking at the ocean stretching for as far as the eye can see.....thats the size of the lakes here! The weather has really changed ...rain, rain & more rain. The mountain sides are sliding grey slate & rocks down onto the roads, new natural waterfalls forming due to the heavy rain....running off the moutains & across the main roads...a joy to drive! Roads behind us have been closed. We stop at a 'one horse town' called Haast. STM called it the 'Haast End of Nowhere'... Nothing there apart from a Tavern & Hostel. When we booked into our room I thought the place had been burgarled....there was literally nothing in the room apart from a bed & window with a window blind that fell off as soon as I tried to let
The black cloud
Black cloud above Annie! it down....great! My husband is trying to get me 'backpacking' for real...! The communal area is well kitted out. Lots of hill walkers (called trampers here!) fishermen, campervans & wait for it....nutters cycling in this dreadful weather with all their worldly possesions on their bikes, all staying over waiting for the bad weather to pass. Generally a friendly bunch but we were glad to leave early the next morning.
Next morning we set off for Fox Glacier rain still pelting down but clouds lifting a little. Drove by Bruce Bay which showed how savage the night before had been with lots of uprooted trees strewn across the beach front. Arrived at Fox Glacier, visability wasn't great & due to poor weather the night before we weren't allowed to walk as close to the glacier as I had hoped. Saw huge ice blocks flowing down the mountain...wasn't allowed to take them back for my afternoon vodka & tonics! Wandered up the mountain trails in the rain in our new fetching 'paca macs'...but well worth the views. The Glaciers were as far down as the car parks just 40 years ago....receding almost as quick as my husbands hairline! We continued our
The morning after the storm
Debris washed up on the beach following the storm the previous day. journey a short distance to the town of Franz Josef where we booked into the 'Top 10 Resort motel' which was clean but basic. The following morning we drove up to the Franz Josef glacier and went walking around the rainforest at the base of the mountains. It was incredible to think how many millions of years that the glaciers had been there and how they have shaped the environment. And now they are disappearing fast!
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