Franz Josef

25.01-29.01

I have to say, it feel good to put down your bag, open it and know that you won't have to close it for 5 days :)

A few informations about the glacier. It is one of the tree in the world with Fox glacier (just 20min drive away) and ?? (don't know the name and location of the third one and to lazy to ask google) to have a tropical forest at the bottom.
Over the last few year, it has been melting really fast and lost a lot of is size. If it keep going like that, it will be gone by 2100, kind of sad.
4-5 years ago, you'd be able to walk to go on it, now you have to get there by helicopter.

For my first day in Franz Josef, I went on the ice explorer tour: helicopter ride to go on the glacier, put on some crampon and walk for 3 hours on the glacier and back on the helicopter to go back down.
First time on an helicopter and on a glacier, exciting :)

getting there

If you zoom in the picture, you might be able to see people walking on the ice. Trying to give you an idea how big it is.

On the way back, got to seat in the front :)

Franz Josef

And since I was feeling like I hadn't done enough that day, I went for a walk by the Tatare Tunnels and Callery Gorge.
The tunnels are an old gold mining site, which has never been profitable. You can walk in the tunnel if you want, but there is ankles deep water inside. I did try to explore them, but the water was sooo cold it was hurting my feet.

Old pipe line for mining

First I saw this

And next you found that right by the trail, WTF???

Callery Gorge

Favorite bridges, they're everywhere :)

And to finish the day, went to relax at the hot pool :)

Next day started with a run and nice chat with some friends before taking the shuttle to the bottom of the glacier.

For my third day there, I decided to go take a look at Fox glacier. Not so much different from Franz Josef, but I'm already here so I want to see everything (or at least at much as I can).
I took the bus to go there, departure 7:45am (sometime I wish I had a car)

Told you they're everywhere ;)

And for my last day, talked to my parents, little run and relaxing in the sun, updating my blog :)
Tomorrow back on the road direction Wanaka...

Lake Mahinapua

 24.01

So today started ok, had a good surprise and ended not so great...

First stop of the day, Cape Foulwind, a 45 minutes walk along the coast and home of a fur seal colony. The walk was nice, but the seal decided not to show up :(

Next, The Pancake Rocks and Blowholes in Punakaiki. No need of much explanation on why they call them that way ;)
Unfortunately, the sea was calm, so no blow for us, but the place is still pretty nice.

I see The Alps, well the Southern ones ;)

A little game for you guys ;)

And now, the surprise: Our driver booked us for a brewery tour and testing, love it :)
We went to Monteith's, in Greymouth. The tour included 4 beers (tasting size) with one we've been able to pour ourself and a 500ml bottle of the American pale ale (still haven't drink it)
I really enjoyed it, and would have been really happy, if it wasn't for the fact that we had a schedule to follow, which meant we only had one hour to spend there. Would have like to hang out longer and take more time to try those beers...

And from there, the day got bad.
We stop at the Mahinapua Hotel for the night. It's an old pub in the middle of nowhere. I was kind of looking forward of spending the night there, sound like something unique. But they made it a big theme party stop, and everybody knows how much I like theme party... The theme: P and you can make it with everything but clothes, great.
I shouldn't have took it like that, but I felt like had to participate, and it upset me because this trip the one time of my life I feel like I should only do what makes me happy. And everybody asking what I was going to wear and not understanding why I wasn't going to do it made it worst.
Other than for that stupid party, the place was nice, the dinner was really good and nice sunset on the beach.

Sunset with the moon :)