A bit slow to start today. Then we did some shopping and updated the BLOG (hope you’re enjoying it – you can leave a comment if you like), had a bit of a look around Greymouth where you don’t want to be living on the North side of the river. Fueled up as well – the truck is doing about 7klms/ltr.
THEN we headed for Hokitika which is a lovely little town at the mouth of yet another river; we had a late morning tea overlooking a treacherous looking bar.
From Hokitika we drove out to Lake Kanarie where my cousin Peter goes to ski. Seems like a darn long and hard drive to go water skiing, but then I suppose I travel some long distances to go diving or ride some decent twisties. Beautiful views overlooking this lake.
We stopped for lunch on the side of the road about 30klms north of Franz Joseph and beside a river that was flowing with the most opaque blue water you’ve ever seen. After lunch and immdeiately around the corner we came a cross this view –
Our first look at the Southern Alps – quite stunning and the photo doesn’t do it justice.
Next stopp was Franz Joseph Glacier. I’d thought we could do a flight over the two glaciers – Franz Joseph and Fox – and Mt Cook. But at $350 each we decided we would give that a miss. So we drove up and hiked in a bit to get this shot – Norma, looking as gorgeous as ever and the glacier is impressive as well. There was a time when the glacier was virtually where I took this photo.
Went back into town and had a coffee, This is a real tourist place and is buzzing, a bit like a ski resort would be.
Headed south and turned off at Fox Glacier township and drove the 20klms out to Gillespies Beach of which 12klms was winding gravel road. Hardly worth the effort really but one must be able to say that one has camped on a Westland beach. The sandflys were as big as bees here.
Here’s where we’ve been today and are staying tonight:
CYa
Larry and Norma's Motorcycle Blog - 2016 2019 