Tramping along river beds

Thursday 31st January 2013

Hokitika to Fox Glacier

Before travelling to New Zealand we had been told that it would be wet verging on extremely wet.  The weather during our trip so far, had been hot, very hot & no rain at all.  So it was as we left our friend's farm & continued on our journey south.

Our route took us along the coastal road, which was magnificently named 'The Franz Josef Highway'.   The empty road took us through the forested hills of the Westland National Park, past lakes & on through the small grassy valleys dotted with dairy farms.  All the time with the vast backdrop of the Southern Alps framing every picture. 

Bridges took us across vast river beds carry glacier melt waters down to the Tasman Sea.  Workmen with JCB & lorries removing the river stones & boulders to repair washed out roads & bridges caused by raging flood torrents from a few months ago. 

                 

The roads here are again not busy, there were no towns only a few very small villages en-route, with the area being mainly based on dairying.  White painted clapboard bungalows with roses growing through picket fences.

However, all this changed as we approached the town of Franz Josef Glacier.  A tourist hub for walkers, adventure seekers & general tourist.  A small smattering of shops bordered the main street, coffee shops, touristy shops, supermarket & petrol station.  The small town was almost heaving with visitors.

Taking the road out of Franz Josef, crossing the bridge over the Waiho River, then taking the first left takes you up to the car park for the hike up to the Franz Josef Glacier.

It was seriously hot by now, mid afternoon.  The easy trail led through the dry, rocky river bed,  a sort of path had been cleared leaving a surface of loose shale. Most people had walking shoes but we did note a few people wearing 'jandals' [NZ = flip flops] & some japanese wearing ordinary shoes.  

The walk itself was interesting, lots of greys interspersed with brightly coloured lichens.  The glacier itself was, l think, more dramatic from the air.  You couldn't walk right up to the ice itself, but l understand that there are early morning hikes up to the ice fields.

After the afternoon's exciting excursions, we returned to the campervan & proceeded with our journey down the Fox Glacier Highway, pitching camp at the Fox Glacier Top 10 Park which had as its backdrop, the Fox Glacier easily visible from our motorhome, a greyish blue smudge snaking down the mountain side. 

Today's mileage = 106 miles