I only had a little over a two hour drive today to get to Franz Josef Glacier so I took my time hitting the road. I also stopped in Hokitika about 20 miles down the road to pick up a couple of things I’d seen in the shops the day before. After a cup of coffee at a local cafe, I hit the highway down the coast. It was sunny so in spite of the windy roads, one lane bridges, and occasional tourist bus, it was a nice drive.
It was starting to cloud up some when I got to Franz Josef Glacier and I was concerned I’d miss the glacier. I was too early to check in to my room so I grabbed some lunch at a local cafe and then went back to check in.
I had toyed with jumping on one of the many helicopters for a look at the glacier but the clouds were rolling in and I wasn’t convinced the $300 or $400 was going to be worth it.
Option B – there is a road right outside of town that heads up toward the glacier and at the end of the road there is a trail up to the foot of the glacier. The trail is about a 45 minute walk but I figured, “what the heck”. I tossed my rain jacket in my backpack and off I went. There were actually quite a few people on the trail.
Although I did feel a few rain drops, it didn’t really rain and the weather kind of cleared up a bit. It was a nice walk and, unlike the helicopter ride, it gives you a good feel as to how far the glacier has receded over the years! I don’t know how anyone could take that walk, see where the glacier was in the early 1900’s, see where it is now, and not be convinced that something is going on ( Global Warming is real!). It was a walk well worth taking. Lots of pretty waterfalls along the way as well.
When I got back to my lodging for the night, the weather had cleared up and I had a beautiful view of the glacier right from my patio. A nice end to a busy day.
According to Google Maps, tomorrow is about a 5 hour drive to Queenstown which, judging by all the squiggles on the map and the fact that it’s just a little over 200 miles, could be Mr. Toad’s Wildest Ride yet!