The next morning (Saturday, March 18, 2017) we enjoyed a more leisurely drive southward along the west coast. We stopped in the artsy town of Hokitika to discover the local craftsmanship and admire the famous greenstone jewelry, and blown glass creations. Driftwood is collected and made into artwork as well. (Sorry but one of my favorite photos just won't turn upright!) And treats at the local pie shop sustained us for lunch.
We drove out of town to see the Hokitika Gorge. What a scenic drive, littered with cows grazing along the foothills and valleys and birds soaring above or resting along roadsides. I was always amazed at how few drivers were on the roads - whether it was a main highway or off the beaten path.
I thought I had seen the most beautiful blue water when I visited Crater Lake in Oregon as a teen. And then again, when we took our kids to Cancun. But I think Hokitika Gorge currently tops the list! There is something magical that happens when glaciers melt, grind rocks to powder and drop ancient minerals into a river of water. The milky turquoise gorge was like nothing I had ever seen.
It was a 2 hour drive to Franz Josef. This tiny but cute little town (350 residents) gets its fame from the steepest glacier in NZ that descends about 7.5 miles to within 1000 feet of the ocean. About 250,000 visitors frequent the town each year. I loved the beautiful flowering trees and quaint little homes in this town where we stopped to book a helicopter glacier hike for the following day. After wandering through a few shops, we continued our drive to Fox Glacier where we had booked a room for the night, (no availability in Franz Josef). The clouds broke up for just a few minutes, allowing us to catch a glimpse of the mighty glacier topped mountain.
Our quaint cabin-like room in Fox Glacier was a welcome retreat and we enjoyed a nice dinner at a local favorite restaurant just a short walk from there. We were treated to a beautiful sunset that evening. After dark, we strolled down the street and followed a path through a little grotto filled with glow worms. It was hard to distinguish between the look of the starry sky and the twinkle of glowworms in the trees.
We drove back to Franz Josef for our heli-hike the morning of March 19. The weather conditions were not ideal and we waited for the guides to determine if it was possible to fly. Watching slides of the beautiful blue ice and glacier hikes made me really anxious to have this experience. Unfortunately, our booking was cancelled and there would be no hiking on the glacier that day.
We were told we could return for an 8:00 am heli-flight the next morning, contingent upon the weather, or we could try to do it at Fox Glacier that day or the next. We opted to try for the second option, but the weather did not favor us either day. However, I still hung on to the hope that when we arrived in Mt. Cook later in our travels, we could heli-hike Tasman Glacier instead!
Bob and I drove to the trail head of the Franz Joseph Glacier Valley hike. It was a lovely hike to the foot of the glacier. Because the glacier is rapidly receding and is unstable, nobody is allowed onto the glacier from the valley floor. But the hike was wonderful and quite scenic. I love the green and red moss covered rocks and waterfall lined cliffs. It is amazing to think that this bowl-shaped valley was carved out by the glacier!
After our Franz Josef Valley hike, Bob and I returned to Fox Glacier to do some exploring there.
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