Keith's Globe Trotting Blog: NZ BLOG 9 - THE WILD WEST TOUR

Fox Glacier & Mt Cook

View of Views - Lake Matheson

Lake Mapourika

Part 2 of 2

THE GREATEST ROADTRIP?

So I headed south by 8am, saying farewell and good luck to Gary. I filled up with fuel in Hokitika and ensured I had three litres of water, this was going to be a long one, 455km to be precise….and lots of wilderness….

If you want solitude, the West Coast is the place, except at a very few places that draw the masses…so go south young man….

The day was a cracker, in fact I don’t think it could be any better….the Alps, with Mount Cook standing to attention, dominating looked fantastic. 😍

Using my travel book and my travel advisor (Hamish) I had a list of points of interest along the way….the views got more dramatic, and the road journey was so wild….the forests are temperate, but they do look really tropical….from coast to mountain top, looking so thoroughly impenetrable, and so healthy! These must be a significant contributor to the lungs of the Earth….apparently people get lost and never found, it’s no surprise!

In 1989, we walked right up to the snout of the two glaciers, Franz Joseph and Fox, not any more! For one, they have both receded massively, and access is now restricted, the viewing platforms are a significant distance away….I wasn’t sure which one to do, time was restricted!

Text cannot possibly illustrate what I witnessed, but as I drove further south, and closer to the Mt Cook range, the vistas became even more mesmeric….over a bridge at Whataroa, the view needed a photo, an immediate left after the bridge took me to a rest place….for a photo?

There was a helicopter just taking off, and a guy selling tickets. I had no intention of spending $400 on a helicopter flight. I didn’t, I spent $385! I had 30 mins to get to the village of Franz Joseph to catch my flight, arriving 5 mins late, everyone was waiting for me….so off up up and away we all went.🚁🏔️

And worth every cent. We were taken up and down both glaciers, at barely a perceptible speed, ever so worryingly (for a second or two, then I remembered it’s a helicopter, it’s what they do!)….one of the best decisions ever. Mt Cook and Tasman were so close and so clear, the day was perfect…we landed in a hollow below Mt Cook, and had a stroll and photo session. ☃️

Grabbing a couple of lattes in the village, trying to process what I’d just experienced, and suddenly a solitary Kea appeared across the road…my first of the trip….it had to be a sign! 🦜

I carried on south, navigating the cut through of the jungle, that was the coastal highway….passing Fox Glacier village, occasionally looking at the snowy peaks, but with less need now!

Lake Matheson near to Fox, is another glacial lake….when the glacier went to the coast, then retreated, moraine is dumped, where it can form a dam, and then the lakes are created.

Matheson has a reputation for a spot called the View of Views, with the backdrop of the alpine summits, and after jogging there (hooray!), the title is probably understated - see the photos. 😍🤷‍♂️😍

These experiences I must admit made me a little blasé about spending time at the points of interest on my itinerary, how could anything else possibly surpass what I’d already witnessed.

Irrespective I still stopped at the easily accessible mainly road side places such as Ships Creek, Knights Point Lookout, Buce Bay (right) and over the Haast Pass, the Blue Pools (which in isolation probably would’ve been gorgeous, but after the Hokitika Gorge experience, these pools were their much inferior sibling!).

I arrived in Wanaka just after 7pm, so nearly 12 hours on the road. 😳😅With hindsight, I would in future break that journey with a stay over in Franz or Fox, and spend more time really exploring in detail those points on the itinerary. I bypassed the famous White Heron colony near Whataroa, where I could’ve kayaked through the nesting sites, and a couple of mega waterfalls on the Haast Pass….oh well, next time….

WANAKA

The drive itself down into Wanaka was amazing, not a cloud in the sky, azure blue water - in fact the photos are practically nothing but variations of blue! Firstly, my intro to Lake Wanaka, then a quick road switch, and suddenly from a high, Lake Hawea came into view. 😳

Camping for the first time in many many years, I pitched my tent at the Outlet campsite - outlet, because the River Clutha outlet is adjacent out of the lake.🏕️

Wanaka is a party and outdoor location, arguably the little brother compared to Queenstown, but confident in its own right. The setting is rather idyllic over the lake, surrounded by mountains. 🥳🧗🏻🚵🚤

After a surprisingly decent sleep, I decided to take breakie in the centre of Wanaka, en velo, with the plan to return, then get ready properly, plan a route then go out for the morning.

So, no helmet, no sun block, no anti sand fly spray, “some” water, rucksack full with my travel book, notebook, iPad etc - the ride hugged the lakeside all the way to the centre, about 8km. - with those views again! Downing my eggs benedict and two lattes, and went via the visitor centre, and on advice jumped on the east lakeside trail, and checked out the famous "Wanaka Tree", and also the venue for the Big Day in exactly 2 weeks time. 👰💍

I continued, apparently there was a nice cafe at Glendhu Bay. The trail became tougher, then even harder…..this was really a mountain biking track, the challenge was on! It became quite rocky…carefully choosing my path, eventually I made it to the Bay, with just one occasion where my foot went down! 🤪🚴‍♂️

But now it was hot, possibly the hottest day on my whole visit….the cafe was on a camping site, so stuff that….and I decided to jump on the road, and cycle back. Returning to the campsite some time later, I didn’t feel great, combo of too much sun and dehydration…..schoolboy stuff!😰

I was going to hike the iconic Roy’s Peak (3,000ft of ascent from the lake) but decided I wasn’t well enough, and more sun wouldn’t help….after a short bike ride along the Clutha (curtailed because it was even narrower and more gnarly than the morning effort) I decided on an early drink and dinner. 🍺🍕

Back to the tent by 8.30pm - it wasn’t an enticing place, in the bush (where else), no views for the morning coffee….and no neighbours either to chat to….checking Google Maps, it was just over 2.5 hours to Oamaru, so a quick decision and off I went…..arriving back at base just before midnight. But one hell of drive, over the Lindis Pass, full concentration required, and I was knackered and not 100% still….3 stops….I survived (although a couple of possums didn’t, a cat lost one more life, as did a hedgehog, and a sheep and lamb played “chicken”, and won, by an inch!).

A great trip, one of the best ever, to be repeated I really hope one day! ❤️🤷‍♂️