We left our overnight stop before dawn (6.45) to get some kilometres covered, know it sounds elderly but happier putting the miles in during the first part of the day. Roads were quiet of course and we made good time. The weather soon closed in and in Birthday mood the driver stopped to pick up two hitchhikers, one from France ( an organic vegetable grower) and his girl friend a nurse from Zurich. The girl friend had been in NZ for a month and him since January. They had spent the previous night sleeping in the open air in their own hammock s, it isn’t very warm at all and their idea of a cosy night in was a two hour hike to a mountain hut! That is serious travelling and it sounded like most of it was fuelled by peanut butter sandwiches, they looked like pictures of health and they didn’t smell, in case you were wondering! We bought them coffee before dropping them off to start their mountain hut hike. The picture is the chocolate bar they left behind them to thank us and wish A a happy birthday.
Meanwhile rain continued unabated and we called an end to our driving at Franz Joseph ( about level with Christchurch except on the west coast).
We are sort of thinking if the weather clears tomorrow we may attempt a heli hike, staying in a rain forest lodge tonight, think centre Parcs in a rain forest with campervan spaces but weather is grim so will walk into the small town for dinner.
Meanwhile having enjoyed hot showers we are cwtched up with books and worrying reports of destructive cyclone in Fiji that may have just taken out our hotel and not to mention the boat we have booked for a four night cruise, we will worry about that next week. Xxx