This morning we said goodbye to the sand flies of Okarito and
headed out toward the Southern Alps, Glacier Country, and our destination for
the evening in Wanaka. Today’s drive is rather long, and Josh and Geoff
have done a great job of dividing it up in order to throw in a couple of scenic
hikes and a visit to a glacier.
Our first stop of the day came at Lake Matheson where we got our
first glimpse of Mt. Cook, the highest point in NZ and our stop in a few days
for the last leg of the trip. On a clear and calm day, Lake Matheson
reflects Mt. Cook and neighboring Mt. Tasman like a mirror. Check it out
(Mt. Cook is on the far right):
The trail continues around the lake for a very pleasant and
reasonably short hike, but unfortunately the wind kicked up as we were walking,
so the mirrored views disappeared. Nevertheless we were able to enjoy the
views and get the blood flowing in the morning.
Just a few short miles down the road we made our next stop to see
Fox Glacier. Seeing New Zealand’s glaciers was one of the highlights of
the trip I was most looking forward to, and it didn’t disappoint. The
walk up to the glacier was beautiful, with sheer cliffs rising above us,
waterfalls and streams rushing towards and past us, and a river full of cold
glacial runoff rushing below us. Pretty great place. At the top of
the trail we got a great look at the glacier and the river flowing beneath it.
After lingering longer than expected at Fox Glacier, we skipped
the lunch stop along the coast eating on the bus en route to continue on to
Wanaka, stopping briefly at Ships Creek where it meets the coast for a short
hike through the rainforest and to see dolphins playing in the surf. This
portion of the drive took us over Haast Pass and past some great scenery as we
skirted around and down the northern and eastern edges of Lake Wanaka.
Today’s drive was a long one, and we passed over more than 20
one-lane bridges the west coast is famous for. This evening we were able
to do a convenient load of laundry thanks to facilities located in our rooms,
and we were also given our first glimpse at a clear view of the Southern Cross
once the stars emerged.
Tomorrow we have yet another long drive in store thanks to a
slight change in the itinerary, but it will be worth it - we are on our way to
Milford Sound and our overnight stay in a boat on the Sound. Should be
amazing.
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