It’s takes over three hours to drive from the pancake rocks (which by the way are part of Paparoa National Park) to Franz Josef. I really enjoy the drive and checking out the scenery. When I arrive it’s still nice and bright and it’s a sunny clear evening. There are just two streets in Franz Josef, Highway 6 which I came in on and Cron Street. This is Cron Street at around 8pm!
I’m staying at the “Scenic Franz Josef” hotel which is in the middle of the two roads so you can walk out of the hotel onto either one.
I take a walk along Cron Street and end up at Monsoon bar and have a local cider called Monteith – it’s the best cider I’ve ever had…. no joking. It looks like fizzy water!
Next morning I’m supposed to be taking a helicopter to the glacier and doing a three hour hike up there but the cloud has set in so I’m not feeling optimistic. Sure enough when I arrive the sign says all Heli-hikes have been cancelled. Disappointing but that’s how it rolls here. No point going up there if you can’t see anything and certainly not if there’s a slight chance of it being dangerous. [side note: Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter just a matter of days ago]. So instead I do some of the local hikes. I head to “Peters pools” which I’m told has a great reflection of the glacier on a calm sunny day. Looking at the proximity of the glacier, even behind those clouds I don’t think there’s been a reflection in that pool since about 1920! The glacier has receded significantly.
Beyond the pool the rest of the hike is closed off
So I set off on another walk called “Sentinel rock”. It’s brightening up and there’s some pretty waterfalls but again the hike is closed beyond a certain point.
Lastly I walk toward the Glacier in the hope the cloud might clear and I might get a view. Unfortunately the cloud is back and it’s brought rain so it’s not happening.
And again I can’t go any further. You used be able to walk along where the water and rocks are behind but it’s been closed off for months as it’s flooded multiple times and is just too dangerous to remain open. Ah well.
If I zoom in you can see a little bit of glacier but that’s as good as it gets.
Another walk brings me through some delightful forest but the rain comes and goes and again the clouds are blocking the view.
It doesn’t feel like there’s much point in trying more walks so I go to the West Coast Wild Life Centre to catch a glimpse of New Zealand’s rarest kiwi – the Rowi kiwi. I didn’t know much about this bird but I find out there are 5 different types, they’re nocturnal and they’re flightless (well I did know that). The wildlife centre is small but I really like it because I feel like I have time to read everything and take it all in. There’s no overload of information, it’s delightful! There’s just one kiwi in the nocturnal house when I visit and her name is Tayejana and she’s 4 months old. I hear rustling around and once my eyes adjust to the dark I spot her roaming about eating and stretching. Her long skinny beak is the easiest bit to spot in the dark. No photos allowed but I did manage to find her doppelgänger thanks to the joys of the internet.
There is also a Tuatara exhibit. Tuataras are lizard like and believed to have first appeared on earth 200 million years ago. They aren’t actually part of the lizard family but the only remaining of a family long extinct. There are six of them in the exhibit and I manage to see five. Apparently they are the only species that have a third eye. It’s fascinating to look for them as they’re so camouflaged and they stay still for ages.
After spending quite a while at the wild life centre chatting to the guide about the kiwis, I head for a late lunch. I decide to try the whitebait as it’s a bit of a speciality around here. They cook it with eggs like an omelette and it was really nice, served with a great salad and garlic bread.
I spend the evening watching the cloud clear from the mountains. The view from my balcony is terrific.
Finally there’s a glimpse of a glacier:
Next morning the sky is clear and I’m excited for my heli-hike. I can hear helicopters in the air and just look at that clear blue sky:
I layer up and head toward the base with a brief detour to call in and see Tayejana. She’s obviously had a good nights sleep with the lights on so she thinks it’s daytime and now she’s running up and down in the dark. A quick peak at the tuataras while I’m there too. This fella was a lot more active this morning.
When I reach the base It’s not good news. Although conditions are good, they’re only sending up scenic flights. The hike trail on the ice has been washed away and there are guides up there now trying to reinstate it. I need to come back at 3pm. I’m afraid the clouds will roll in again but surprisingly the girl behind the counter says “no way, look at that day, you’ll be all set for 3pm”. I have a chat at the info centre and the girl recommends I head to Fox Glacier where I’m bound to see some good stuff.
Ehhhh…. wrong! She explains that up to about a year ago you used to be able to drive quite close to Fox but the road has been closed. However you can still get a decent view. This is the view I got:
Her next recommendation was to go to Matheson Lake. This is supposed to frame an amazing view of Mount Tasman and Mount Cook but look… it’s more cloud, I can’t believe I left a beautiful sunny Franz Josef and came to this!
I continue on in the hope of it clearing and do the loop walk around the lake. It’s a lovely 1.5 hour walk and I reckon when the sun is shining and the sky is clear it’s magnificent. Still nice today just not so stunning.
I really should know better, but forever the optimist, I head to Peak Viewpoint where I’m told I should get a great view of Fox glacier. Worth a try….. just in case. As I turn off the main road following the directions to the view point I’m on an unpaved gravel road. All I keep thinking is don’t get a puncture as I didn’t pay extra for the roadside assistance. Alas not worth the trip…..
I reckon it’s time to be getting back to sunnier skies so I can get ready for my Heli-hike. Driving back into Franz Josef I’m not loving the look of the sky…
I go back to the hotel to layer up before heading to the base but unfortunately it’s bad news again. Yep, the hike path is ready but the weather has turned and everything is cancelled again. 😩 I get rescheduled one more time for tomorrow morning but I don’t hold out much hope as the weather app says rain is due. I do another walk toward the Tatare tunnels but again it’s closed beyond a certain point and at this stage I’m getting a bit disheartened.
I’m so glad I’m in a nice hotel with a good view. I have a bit of downtime and then go to Alice Mays for my final dinner. The restaurant is famous for its patron Alice who was called a man slayer. When I read about her I find out she only killed one man, her husband, and she shot him – hardly worthy of the title “man slayer”. The place gets great reviews and it’s packed. I have to wait at the bar until a table is ready. And then …. well it’s an average meal…. nothing to write home about (but apparently blog worthy!!). It seems today just wasn’t my day! I’m ready for it to be tomorrow!
I wake up. It’s my last morning. I’ve one last shot at this Heli-hike. I open the curtains. It’s kinda sunny. I can hear helicopters. I get excited. I get out of the shower. It’s cloudy. I’m pessimistic. I go for breakfast. It’s sunny again. I layer up, get myself ready and head to the base…….
I’m outa here.
odohertyelaine 