Glaciers and the Great Outdoors
Friday 12th August 2016 – What a wonderful lay in. Normally we’re up at 6.00am as campers do but today we arose at a leisurely 9.00am. After breakfast we made our way to Motukiekie for a scenic beach walk. We arrived at low tide, parked and tiptoed down a gully onto the beach. Corrugated tidal shelving greeted you first like natural sculptures from a modern art gallery. Stacks then appear before your eyes…later archways, caves and miniature, cascading waterfalls. It was a cloudy, drizzly day as we peered through Motukiekie Point Archway at geological features framed through it. The tide was coming in fast and beginning to crash angrily against the rocks so we retraced our steps only to see a penguin laying motionless inside one of the caves. On closer inspection we realised that it was with us no more and lay silent, beautiful and in such perfect condition…it was so sad as there seemed to be no obvious cause of its death. We identified it as a Fiordland Crested Penguin. I left a cross of pebbles before it as a sign of respect and love for Mother Nature and on we went…tears in my eyes seeing such a perfect penguin asleep forever. On the way back we picked up an unusual, aesthetically pleasing piece of driftwood as a lucky charm then headed towards Franz Josef Glacier to camp for the night.
Saturday 13th August 2016 – Up early at 6.00am…no lay in for us today. Our hope was to see my first ever glacier and I couldn’t wait! Aaron had seen some before in his previous travels…but me…never before. On entering the township beautiful, snowy mountains welcomed us with their icy gaze…wow! At the visitor centre we were informed that the only way to actually walk on the glacier was with a helihike! A helihike…we wanted to walk it…not so…and no longer possible. Deciding we did not wish to fork out £200 each to put our tippy toes on the ice instead we agreed to do the numerous walks that loop around the glacier. The sky was blue and the sun shone brilliantly upon us…what a glorious day for glacier gazing. The ice fields were a sparkling, pure blue-white jagged majestic sight that I have never beheld before. The closer we got the more this spectacle resembled a meringue topped pavlova of pure iciness. My favourite walk by far was to Peter’s Pool, named after a young boy who camped there many years previously. Peter…my dad’s name…I knew straight away in my heart that my dad had sent this glorious day to enjoy my first ever sighting of a glacier. The reflective view at this pond was ethereal and almost spiritual in its beauty. I will never forget the idyllic picture that treated my eyes that day, almost unreal in its splendour. Doubling up we went onwards to Fox Glacier. It’s icy snout formidably looks down upon the valley it once inhabited. The retreat of theses glaciers is astonishing and its catalyst…global warming. Our best viewpoint showcased the unique nature of these New Zealand glaciers…alpine ice mixed with rainforest. White of the ice and snow…green of the trees and that stunning azure of clear blue sky…a melting pot of the divine. Leaving our glorious glaciers behind, jointly guarded by Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, we drove to Lake Paringa Campsite. At first the misty lake looked friendly and relaxing but then…the dreaded sand flies emerged…attracted to the warmth of our lovely camper van. They were everywhere…watching…waiting…for us…to drink our blood! They swarmed the windows outside like a plague. The only thing we could do was to sit it out like prisoners…trapped…mutiny of the sandflies. It was only when darkness fell that we felt safe to venture out into the night…a time when sandflies sleep and rest from the hunt!
Sunday 14th August 2016 – Our 3rd Year Anniversary and we would be enjoying it in the great outdoors of New Zealand. Having breakfasted on the beach while watching the clouds ribboning around the nearby mountains that appeared so peaceful and romantic, we journeyed on. A wild, black rabbit crossed our path followed by an armada of jet coal swans serenely gliding upon the lake towards us. At Monroe Beach we sat for an hour or so in anticipation of spotting an elusive Fiordland Crested Penguin. They are a rare sight in New Zealand, unfortunately we weren’t lucky enough to see one that day…our penguin hunt would continue. However, the one hour return walk to the beach was very pretty. A dense Wetland jungle of fern and moss covered trees punctuated with birdsong and gurgling streams adds to its magical quality. Wanaka was next on our list. Misty, moody mountains eyed our arrival. Fresh, pure snow lined the road so we decided to fill our cooler box up with this unexpected natural resource…a good job it did too of keeping our soft drinks an icy delight. After a warming cappuccino and our first glimpse of the Rio Olympics at a local bar we settled into Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park. Hot showers, banter with other travellers and lots of bubbles and beers later we happily toasted our third wedding anniversary, warmth filling our hearts.
Monday 15th August 2016 – Today we headed to Queenstown leaving illuminated mountains in our wake only to see more dominating snow covered mountains on the horizon before us like a premium sweet shop of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. Arriving in Queenstown, the sun beat down on this internationally known ski town and adventure Mecca of New Zealand. Queenstown is located on the gorgeous Lake Wakatipu with the craggy Remarkables Mountains as the stunning backdrop. Eye candy everywhere you look! This place throbs with a young, energetic, excited vibe…we couldn’t pass through without one experience of a high octane activity…so here we were for the world famous jet boating gorge…’Shotover River Canyon’! After charging up Aaron’s GoPro we booked our tickets. ‘Shotover Jet’ is known as the most exciting boat ride in New Zealand…and we were going on it! Adorned with waterproofs and life saving jackets on we climbed into the front seat! What happened next was 25 minutes of white knuckle thrills. We blasted through a narrow rock-bound gorge, hopped rapids and spun 360s…getting soaked to the skin. We roared up and down stream whooping and laughing with a face full of spray…adrenaline heaven! At lunch we admired the lake and its regiment of mountains then headed towards Milford Sound where we camped at Henry Creek on the outskirts of the home of South Island’s most iconic image…Mitre Peak…who towers over the Sound.
