Monday, February 16, 2009
Today we hit the road at 6:07 a.m. After a 4-hour drive, our first stop was Greymouth. This is a key area known to obtain Jade. On the fly, we read about and sought out the Jade Boulder Café for breakfast and then went to Jade Country, which was in the same building. This place has the requisite equipment necessary for stone cutting, carving and polishing. We purchased some jewelry for MaryKay who is helping us (and Renee) out by taking care of the dogs. This purchase revealed a problem with our credit card, which for whatever reason, our credit card company placed a freeze on the account. After a bit of hassle, we resolved the card situation and were back on the road.
From Greymouth, we drove about 2 more hours to the next pit stop: Franz Joseph Glacier. Here we were able to walk about 5 minutes uphill (Dawn’s death march – the guide book stated it was supposed to be a 15 minute walk) to a viewing point to see the Glacier. It was a pretty neat site and we took many pictures. We headed back to the car and proceeded another ½ hour or so south to see the Fox Glacier.
When we first arrived we were not sure if we should follow a guide that had a group tour or follow the marked trail. We decided to follow the marked trail and hiked to the viewing site. It was pretty warm out, maybe 75 degrees with the sun making it feel even warmer. As we got closer to the glacier, it got much cooler. We thought the marked trail route we followed would take us much closer to the glacier, but when we arrived at the end of the trail we were not able to get as close as we thought.
We noticed people down below, walking through the riverbed, and Mike wanted to touch the glacier. We began walking back to see if we could pick up a trail down to the riverbed and get a closer look. Rita didn’t want to go as she didn’t think it would be safe. As the three of us proceeded, we had to cross the river originating from the glacier twice. The second time was a little difficult. Then we kept walking closer and closer and it got cooler and cooler (dropping maybe 25 degrees to about 50F). There was a large boulder of ice that broke away from the glacier in a spot we could reach out for a touch. Mike and I walked over while Troy took a picture of us touching the glacier.
Mike and I retreated quickly as the glacier was melting and you could hear chunks falling all around. Very cool, very stupid, not very safe! Troy, more adventurous, risky and stupid than others, went in little closer for a better view and to take more pictures. After another loud crash of boulders Troy ran back across the boulders to meet up with Mike and me. As we were walking away, Mike found what looked like a petrified piece of wood from a tree. It was a crazy-blue-green color, really heavy and definitely looked like a wedge from a tree. We left it behind and proceed back to Rita. Up ahead we had to re-cross the river (twice) to get back and meet up with Rita. Troy was very nervous for Mike and my crossing – seeking out alternatives. In the end, we all crossed safely and told Rita of our adventure.
After our adventure in the glaciers, we headed to Haast (about 2 more hours). The travel guide stated that there was a place in Haast that served good pizza. We were really looking forward to it. We found the place, stopped, but they were not serving food until 6:30 p.m. (it was 5:30 pm when we stopped). We each ordered some fine local brew and peaked at the menu to see if we wanted to wait. There was no pizza on the menu, and now quite disappointed we decided to drive the remaining hour to our stop for the evening.
We left Haast headed to the Makarora Wilderness Resort. We followed the road along Haast pass, which was one of the most beautiful drives we have ever experienced. Along the way, we took many pictures as it kept getting more beautiful as we drove. Each time we stopped we encountered numerous sand flies and finally found out why we needed bug spray.
We arrived at Makarora Wilderness Resort. The lodging was very rustic, but had the most comfy beds. The restaurant we passed down the road had a one plate buffet dinner for $25 and was open until 8 p.m. So after we settled in we drove back down and ate. They had pork, lamb, corn, peas, and potatoes with tomatoes. It was all very good, but then again we were pretty hungry. We came back to our rooms, opened some wine and chocolate and sat outside on the deck. As night fell, we took another try at viewing stars. A little after 10:00 p.m. it was still a little light out so we couldn’t see too much, but every minute more and more became visible. You could see Orion extremely well, what we thought was the Southern Cross, the Little Dipper and only half of the Big Dipper. What was most evident was the Milky Way, even early in the evening sky. The mountains are much bigger here and some of them still have some snow. We took many great pictures today.
Haast Pass Pictures
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Franz Josef Glacier Pictures
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Fox Glacier Pictures
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