To the Wild Wild West!

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For the long journey to the glaciers we again decided an overnight stop half way was needed, this time in Greymouth. We set off in the bright sunshine stopping at Iramahuwhero Point for lunch and spectacular views down the wild West Coast - huge waves and weathered limestone cliffs. In the other direction you could see the snowy peak of Mount Cook in the distance, New Zealand's highest mountain. A little further down the coast we walked the Truman Track: a short walk through the bush and we emerged onto a wild beach where, even on an otherwise calm day, the waves were enormous and fiercely pounding the coast. Our next stop was at the Pancake Rocks - dramatic limestone rock formation that looked like stacks of giant pancakes. From there we continued along the winding coastal road, passing through various tired old gold mining towns, until we reached Greymouth which lives up to its name as a grey, dull little place (at the mouth of the Grey River!) Even on such a sunny day it was really windy and cold there! For tea we dined at the Railway Hotel with its famous "$6 all the sausages you can eat bbq". It was a dive of a place and bizzarley the entrance was through a betting shop, but we got more than our moneys worth!

We left Greymouth as soon as we could the next morning and were on the road to the glaciers - the real reason for visiting the West Coast. First we visited Franz Joseph and walked to the face of the glacier - an awesome sight! It was steep and looked stunning set against the bright blue sky. It's a shame that the barriers stop you so far from the snout. However it is no wonder due to the accident a few months ago on the nearby Fox Glacier when two brothers were crushed by a piece of falling ice having ignored the "danger" signs. The same level of health and safety cannot be said to apply to the road network, particuarly in terms of level crossings where there is no barrier or signal to warn you that a train is approaching! We travelled on to Lake Matherson, hoping to see the classice view of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman reflected in the lake. But unfortunately by this time of the day covection clouds had formed shrouding the peaks in cloud, so we just picnicked in the sun by the lake.

The next day we woke up early for a full day hike on Fox Glacier. As there was a clear sky we went to Lake Matherson to get a good view of the mountains, and could see the peaks really clearly in the early light in spite of the morning mist. We then headed to the Fox Glacier base where we got kitted up with heavy leather hiking boots and met our guides Jeff and Jared - a Texan and an Australian. A bus took us off to the glacier car park and we were split into groups of about 10 and then set off on a walk to the glacier's face. Jeff was our guide - he seemed a bit intense at first, but after a few minutes we got to know him and he was really fun. After walking over the terminal morraine near to the glacier's snout, we took a track into the bush which climbed really steeply giving us views across the glacial valley. After an hour of hiking the track we were able to get onto the ice. We were given crampons and alpenstocks (walking poles) and here joined on the lateral morraine by a group of Keas - the worlds only alpine parrots. We got onto the ice from the side about a quarter of the way up the glacier and then followed Jeff as he cut paths for us using an ice axe. We got to walk through huge crevasses and climb up towards seracs - towers of ice formed as the glacier turns a corner in the valley. Being on the glacier was an amazing experience, hearing the rivers and waterfalls beneath your feet and the thundering sound of chunks breaking from the folds in the ice. The surface is a mass of hollows and waves and within cracks you can see the condensed deoxygenated blue ice.

We were on the trip for the whole day - at the base at 9, on the ice by 11 and not off it until 5.30! We definately got our moneys worth as it was dark by the time we were back at the car park! Probably the best experience we have had so far in New Zealand.

To get to the Fjords we again needed a stopover, this time it was Queenstown. The scenery was on the drive was dramatic - at first lush rainforested mountains as we passed through the Southern Alps, then on the other side it was very different; the hillside became rocky and barren, and the grasses yellow and dry, presumably in the rain shadow of the high Alps. Queenstown has a beautiful setting by a lake with steep mountains coming down to it. It is buzzing with life, allbeit a touristy buzz made by people here for a combination of bunjy jumping, rafting, canyon swinging, skydiving etc.

We spent the morning mooching around in Queenstown. The city is overrun by Brits, particuarly Irish and Scottish 20-30 year olds working in shops and restaurants. We set off for Te Anau around lunchtime and stopped in a picnic area next to the huge lake Wakatipu, a beautiful spot. We reached Te Anau, again another stopover to reach Milford Sound.

We set off first thing towards Milford Sound for our cruise. The route took us through increasingly dramatic scenery as we entered Fjordland National Park. We stopped at various spots on the journey through the steep-sided, narrow Eglington Valley: Lake Gunne; Mirror Lakes - small glacial lakes which, as the name suggests, give a perfect reflection of the surrounding mountains; A scenic lookout overlooking the Holyford Valley; and the Chasm - a canyon of water-sculpted rock formations.

We arrived in Milford Sound a little early and went for a walk along the edge. Contrary to what the name suggests, it is a Fjord (flooded glacial valley) and not a Sound (flooded river valley). It was a sunny morning, which is incrediably lucky as Milford Sound receives around 7m of rainfall each year - the second highest in the world! Our much cheaper cruise seemed no more shabby than all the others costing 4 times the price - it was perfect for us anyway: over an hour long, taking in all of the Fjord and out to the Tasman Sea, and as much complimentary tea and coffee as we could drink! Glad we made the effort to go South and see Fjordland, but glad we didn't spend lots of time and money on an overnight cruise.

From there we headed straight back to Queenstown. It was a long drive and at one stage we were worried that our little Daihatsu had given up on us as it made a horrible grinding noise when turning right which gradually became loud and constant! After taking us 3,500 km, Queenstown was our last stop so it didn't have long to last! On investigation we it was just a piece of plastic from the wheel arch that had dropped down, we popped it back in and drove on to Queenstown.

After a drizzley morning in Queenstown the next day, we set off for the airport for our flight to Auckland. Queenstown airport is very spacious and airy (and crazily big considering its population is only slightly larger than Whitchurch!) The two hour flight went quickly, though unfortunately the cloudy day meant we missed out on the potentially exciting views over New Zealand.

From Auckland airport we got the airbus into the city centre and found our hostel easily, right at the foot of the Sky Tower. Auckland is such a big city compared to everywhere else in the country (including the capital!) - Big buidings, wide streets, sprawling suburbs, but also that 'big city' generic feeling that means you could be anywhere in the world. The next morning we went for a wander around the city centre. It was really muggy and warm - really different from the South of the country where Autumn had definately brought a chill to the air. For lunch we discovered by far the best part of Auckland for us - Food Alley! It was amazing - a shabby looking canteen-like place with food stalls of every type of asian cuisine (Korean, Indonesian, Malaysian......) making it difficult to choose. In the end we went for Vietnamese which was cooked there in front of you, arriving on a sizzling platter but costing only about 3 pounds. It had such a mixed clientelle of businessmen, builders as well as lots of people from within the asian community. As well as the food stall, there were drink stalls which sold every drink you could think of, from freshly made iced-tea to pina coladas! We spent the afternoon mooching around the city and lying in the park. There were no real sights to see, so not much to do to pass the time (without spending money!) Needless to say we returned to Food Alley for tea, before turning in early as we had to be up at 5 the next day for our flight to Cairns!

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Comments

[mum]

wild wild west
the photos look amazing, the real thing must be truly fantastic!

[sue]

looks a bit cold
the glaciers look soooo beautiful viewed from england in the sun!!glad you are having such a great time lots of love. p.s. give my regards to the daintree and watch out for cassowaries

[Hevs]

Food Alley!!! It sounds like heaven for guzzlers like us! Thanks so much for the postcard! It made me giggle, and Louise particularly appreciates having possums in the house (though she reckons they're not as good as Aussie possums...)