Hiking to Fox Glacier

Unlike Franz Joseph Glacier, Fox Glacier is accessible by foot. Unfortunately a guide tour is required to actually walk on the ice, but we managed to hike quite close to it. It gave us a good vantage point to see a large part of the glacier and the surrounding valley.

SV Christmas party

Today SV had her Christmas party at school and all the parents were invited. We all had fun, especially SV. She got to play in the jumping castle, ball pit, big kid playground, and even got a tattoo and face paint. Let's just say it didn't take long for her to fall asleep.

Sunset at Lake Matheson

We drove to the town of Fox Glacier (can you guess the name of the glacier???) and made it just in time to visit Lake Matheson for a spectacular sunset. The golden light was quite amazing as it mixed with the mist coming off the ocean, but SV was not impressed and instead cried in the camper van for a bit. Eventually she was persuaded to come out and she enjoyed the sunset reluctantly at first before fully embracing it. We did a short hike to get some wonderful views of Mount Cook as it was reflected in the lake.

Bus strategy model

Today the NSW Government released a strategic document called Sydney's Bus Future, and guess who was featured inside?! KT and SV are both featured on page 32. You can download the document if you are interested here: SBF download. The photograph is below in case you don't want to download the document. Remember to keep an eye out because these character's may make another appearance soon.

Franz Joseph Glacier

We continued south along the west coast and reached Franz Joseph Glacier (the town) home to the appropriately named Franz Joseph Glacier (big surprise) and a rare breed of kiwi bird. Taking advantage of some free drink vouchers we went and had a refreshing beverage before we settled in. We went for a hike to see the base of the glacier before TV and Richie took a helicopter flight on to the glacier. Meanwhile KT and SV had a nap and jungle walk.

Whataroa River

On the way to the glaciers we stopped over for an SV nap and a bit of lunch at the Whataroa River. It is another beautiful ice blue river, but this one has a couple of old bridge supports from the old road bridge. It is also a place where some of the helicopters take off from for the scenic glacier flights. It is a very picturesque place but unfortunately as most places with fresh water on the west coast, it is infested with sandflys. As a precaution we tried to cover as much of our bodies as possible so the nasty little flies had little space to bite us. A lesson learned from our trip to the Hokitika River earlier. After having a good stop we moved on to the glaciers, making a brief stop at Lake Mapourika to photograph the lone jetty that extends out into the water also giving SV a convenient excuse for trying out her new gumboots.

In the campervan

This trip would not have been the same without our trusty campervan, and here is a bit of a tribute to how well it served us. Richie and SV took advantage of the large bed in the back to jump around and get some of that pent up energy out. SV also used that space as a game room, sometimes even when there was laundry drying there. The smaller breakfast table we used quite often as well for our meals, although we ate a couple of times at the big table as well which made up the bed in the back. Richie also had his separate man-cave where he could retreat for a bit of privacy, or spy from above. The kitchen was actually pretty good and the gas stove and hot water made cooking inside convenient. The bathroom got some good use too, and on the second or third attempt SV started enjoying having showers in there, mostly because of the bubbles that the shower made on her tummy.

The giant wheelbarrow

On the way back from the river we noticed a giant wheelbarrow near our campsite. We decided to investigate with both TV and SV having a bit of fun on and around it.

The blue Hokitika River

While in Hokitika we went and visited a gorge which had the spectacularly blue Hokitika River. See for yourself below. It was a very nice place until we got near the water which was absolutely infested by sandflys. Those little pests ate TV and Richie alive with their tiny bite which itch for days. Luckily SV and KT got away without any bites. SV really liked the hike though and afterwards she read a new book that Richie bought titled something with Sasquach.