Glaciers and Haast Pass

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We next headed down to Franz Josef to look at the Glacier. On the 21st it was shitty weather and slightly rainy and really foggy. We still walked out 10 min to go look at Franz Josef in the fog. Then we stayed at the Rain Forest Hotel/Backpackers. We were going to stay in the dorms but there was a large tour group there that night an the two guys we got put with we kinda smelly so we upgraded to a en-suite dorm room. A four person room with an attached bathroom. We ended up getting this to ourselfs and it was well worth the extra $2. The motel part of this place had tree houses that were fully equiped. Didn't go look for them though so I'm not sure if it was true. They were too much for our budget. The next morning we headed back out to look at Franz Josef since the fog had burned off or blown away. Then we headed farther south to Fox Glacier and look at that one from a distance from view point. Near Fox is a lake called Lake Matheson. Its a really reflective lake with an hour and a half walk around it. When we got there it was still slightly foggy but I cleared up before we go to the first viewing area on the trail. Even with a little bit of a ripple on the lake from the wind it looked great. That ended our time at the Glaciers but we will be heading back be for we leave to go do a day hike on one of the two glaciers.

From the Glaciers we headed south and then east over haast pass which had a bunch of waterfalls on the side of the road and just was a great looking pass to cross. As we passes over Haast Pass we left the West Coast and entered Otago and then into Southland.

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Photos

Small single room huts at Rain Forest Backpackers
This was not what we stayed in but I took a picture of them anyways.

Ducks
There were tons of ducks in this lake.