Lower levels:

Navigation:

Did I say roads had been flooded and washed away?

Fortunately for us, the spate of appalling weather New Zealand had  endured was just clearing when we arrived. It did however, put pay to our dreams of walking on the pristine snow of the Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers.

We did however get to see the 'terminus' of the FJ Glacier up close on foot (our plan had been to do a heli-hike). And an amazing sight it was too - a river of white flows from a blue ice cave at the base of the glacier. Thousands of gallons of millenia old water flows out and across a massive carved flat littered with boulders.

The water, at around 3 degrees C is opaque white due to the suspended 'rock flour' it contains - i.e. crushed and powdered rocks - which prevents any life from prevailing for many kilometres along its path.

From FJ, we head south to the Fox Glacier. Much the same story here - low cloud and precipitation have stopped play. We decide to head south and hope we have time to double back later.

Next stop is the delightful Lake Wanake (which we felt was a most unfortunate name for such a great place).

This town, on the road to Queenstown is built on the edge of a picture postcard lake with towering mountains on three sides.

We discover the local attraction - a place called 'Puzzling World' that includes a room with a hundred relief faces that follow you as you move (quite eerie), a huge maze (which we gave up on), a room built on an angle where you can play pool uphill, watch water flow upwards and take absurd pictures of yourself leaning as though gravity had no relevance.

It also features "the world's most amazing toilet" - nuff said.

Navigation: