A new guest showed up at the hostel sometime in the middle of the night but I somehow was able to stay in bed until 0550. Actually, I never even checked my watch all night until then (my phone was charging on the other side of the room). I got ready as quickly and quietly as I could (everyone else didn't seem to notice) - there were no towels provided by the hostel but I (fortunately) had brought one of my own. After getting my car packed, I spent some time in the hostel common area until the restaurants in town opened. At 0655, I walked down to the waterfront and ate breakfast (sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, beans, hash browns, fruit smoothie) at Kai Whakapai. The food was good and I was finished by 0725. After walking back to the hostel, I left Wanaka at 0730. By then, the sun was just coming up... I spent the rest of the morning transiting New Zealand's Southern Alps (Wanaka to Haast) to reach the western coast. I used Route 84 and Route 6 was I traveled north and west. I stopped for photo opportunities at Lake Hawea and again at the far northern end of Lake Wanaka. After passing Makarora, I saw signs for Mount Aspiring National Park - it was steady climbing after that. While most of the beautiful peaks towering above the road were shrouded in fog and clouds, I didn’t encounter rain. At Haast Pass, I stopped to hike up to the top of the ridge, where there was a good viewpoint. Just after I parked, three bus loads of school kids stopped at the same location. Fortunately, I was faster than them (I beat them up and back down) and my mini-hike wasn't spoiled. Back in my car, the road began a big descent down to the town of Haast. Along the way, I hadn't seen almost any traffic and I felt like I was one of the only people exploring this beautiful part of New Zealand. Overall, I’d have to say that a journey through the the Pass is definitely a highlight of the South Island. In Haast, I stopped to check out the Department of Conservation station and had a good chat with one of the rangers. He highlighted several places for me to stop and hike as I drove north on Route 6. He also told me about a nearby kiwi reserve that was the home of some of the rarest (only 300 in the world) of the species. Next, I explored the town (kind of deserted) and got gas (1130) at the most expensive place that I’ve seen in the whole country. Soon after leaving the little coastal town, I crossed a one lane bridge so long that it had two pull outs (passing zones) - a car politely waited for me to pass at one of them! As I drove, it got much warmer (50s) but a stiff sea breeze kept me cool. All day long, I kept seeing lots of roadkill (possums) and scavenging hawks (harriers). Following the Ranger’s recommendation, I stopped to visit Ship Creek and walked on the beach (1150). I learned that the name of the place was connected to a shipwreck that washed ashore - that ship had actually sunk in Victoria, Australia, and the wood drifted all the way to the South Island! The waves coming ashore from the Tasman Sea were very big and seemed to threaten the lower-lying areas of the parking lot. The place had great views of nearby cliffs and interesting trees but I decided against going on either of the long scenic walks to learn more about each. Instead, I got back on the road and proceeded to nearby Knight’s Point (1220). The views from atop the cliff there were tremendous and I also found a memorial to the people who built Route 6 across the Haast Pass. Continuing north, I started to get further and further from the coast and entered Westland National Park. The (canceled) adventure tour had a hike in that area through the Copland Valley and, when I located the parking lot for that Track, I tried to make some footprints on it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out a way to cross the big river that was near the beginning of the trail - I saw a few hikers returning from their journey up the valley and they were covered in mud... Not wanting to get soaked (I was really missing my trekking poles), I dejectedly walked back to my car. As I was going through a gate, I noticed that a Fantail (bird) was flying very closely, unafraid of me. This is the second kind of fearless bird I’ve seen on a hike in New Zealand (I managed to get his photo). While I was disappointed not to have been able to get some miles on a good trail, I figured I now had time to visit both glaciers that were along Route 6 to the north. Making my way in that direction, the road got very curvy and steep and had lots of one lane bridges. As a result, I took my time. I parked at the trailhead for the Fox Glacier Walk at 1415 and headed into the valley. It started raining (I was actually in a rainforest so I should have expected that) but I still made it up to the main viewpoint pretty quickly. I swear I could see the glacier through the mist and fog (tinges of the blue ice) but it’s really hard to see in my photos... Backtracking to the car, I continued into the town of Fox Glacier and drove south on Cook Flat Road. The helpful Ranger in Haast had told me about a great viewpoint located near the end of that road so I went looking for it. As I drove, it didn’t seem intuitive that I might see the glacier better from farther away but I tried to keep faith in the advice of the locals (it usually serves me well). At 1540, I found the place he meant and was rewarded with exactly what I’d hoped to see. Again, though, my photos don't give a good impression of the actual view... At the same location, there was a Māori waka (canoe) - beautiful artwork! After heading north on Route 6 again, I stopped for a walk at Lake Matheson (1555), which is known for having great reflections of the Southern Alps on clear, windless days. I really didn’t have either so had to settle for a reflection of blurry clouds… The walk was very nice, though. However, one thing I was disappointed about was that I couldn’t see Aoraki (Mount Cook). I did see lots of cows and a Pukeko (bird). Back on Route 6, I carefully made my way (with some more rain) through some of the steepest and curviest road I’ve seen in New Zealand. On the other side of this section, I descended into a valley that was dry and sunny. The Franz Josef Glacier was in that area and, with about 30 minutes of daylight left, I decided to try to hike the valley to see it. Starting at 1715, I made my way as close as I could get to the glacier and was able to see it better than Fox Glacier (with a shorter hike too). It started raining again so I headed back to my car and drove into the town of Franz Josef. I found my hotel, north of the main area, at 1745 - checking in, I was glad to see that I had reserved a really nice room with a good porch. I didn’t stay long because there was no food nearby and I was hungry. Instead, I drove back to town and ate a good dinner (lasagna, salad and local beer) at the Blue Ice Restaurant. Finished at 1835, I drove back to the hotel, which was really almost in the middle of nowhere. This was actually good because, when I looked up in the (clear) sky in the field next to my room, I saw SO MANY stars (including the Southern Cross) and the Milky Way! I spent the evening resting, reading and reorganizing my belongings. Headed to bed at 2245. This day turned out to be one of the most active and varied of the whole trip - wish I could go on exploring forever!
