Leaving ArthursPass Village it was frosty and crisp and sunny, the mountain caps were snowy. The village really was no more than 40 properties and most of them were single skin
corrugated iron huts that were knocked up for the tunnellers in the 1920’s when
they built the train tunnel up there. Must have been harsh. Some time after,
the small corrugated huts were clad and enlarged to make ski accommodation for
those that come up to the ski field here. Hence the photo of Tom in front of
one that hadn’t been clad.

The mountain ski fields aren’t ski resorts as we know in the European sense, but ski fields with T bars, or moving ropes.

We went over the viaduct Arthurs Pass and zig zagged down and up the mountain side till we got down to Lake Brunner, and then onwards to the West Coast and the small town of Greymouth.
(Saying small town, they are more like a big village in UK sizes).

I’ve got behind a bit with my blogs hence you had two arrive
recently. Am now a bit more on track.

We stayed at Greymouth Holiday Park…(Thursday)……we had a
nice big cabin at the edge of the park with a kitchen and lounge area, the park
was at the back of the sand dunes, and so a stones throw to the beach, which
was like Brighton, stony. It was a clean bright well kept park and as the
season hadn’t started as such , it was deserted except for the influx at tea
time by a dozen or so motor/ camper homes.
It was a good stop to use the camp washing machines and delight of delight “a clothes line “, and not have to use the shrinking tumble driers, as they are so harsh on some clothes.




The next day, Friday, we had a “non scenery” day and a “wandering day” absorbing the old mining heritage and buildings at Shantytown., which was an insight into the old mining and logging / sawmill sites and towns.




There was even a steam train which we took up to the reconstructed sawmills, and the old gold mines.















It was such a sunny hot day and we spent most of it there, got back to Greymouth and did a coast walk, and then tucked in and cooked dinner.






Saturday, 10 November 2012

We left Greymouth and drove towards Glacier Country, and towards the Snow clad peaks Mount Cook.

Sadly it started to rain heavily as soon as we got in the car and it pelted down…..i tried to look for some gleam of hope in the skies, but NO!

We drove through the Rainforests for a good hour and yes called rainforest I should expect rain eh……………&# 8230;up and down, round tight bends, the rain got worse………but even though we were often driving in the clouds it was very scenic.


We arrived at the Franz Joseph Glacier with every intention to park and walk up to the glaciers face, about 45 mins from the car park. Rain was coming down in buckets!
We sat and watched others as they returned to their cars and motor homes like drowned rats, soaked and miserable……

Tom said “Sue we aren’t kids, we don’t need to push ourselves”, …so drove off towards the Fox Glacier 20 miles down the road where we are booked for 2 nights stay, thinking the weather may improve tomorrow and we will have time to do both glaciers………… 230;…weather forecast is grim
though……another day of rain is forecast. Tom said we have been very lucky on
this trip and got away with minimal rain so we cant complain………… 230;.we do have a
great view of snow clad Mount Cook from this back window apparently!!
Prince Charles and Camilla arrive tonight for their NZ tour…

Sunday 11 Nov. 12
Well woke up and saw a glimmer of blue sky……thought we had best get on with it before we got wet, but if we got wet hey ho you make the best of things don’t you………..down the road to the Fox Glacier views. First we went through the rainforest and parked to walk down to a river view of the Glacier in the distance. The rainforest was dark and sodden.

It started to rain.


Our cheapo macs we bought in Auckland when we arrived have come into play!
Trees ferns are everwhere in the rainforest.


Next back in car to drive a short way to where most people end up…. the car park by the Glacier and a walk of about three quarters of an hour to the Glacier Face.



There was the opportunity to hire guides to walk up the glacier, but we couldn’t see much mileage in torturing ourselves with that delight! Rain had stopped

………..

The terrain up to the glacier was mainly on the rough stony river bed, as the river was quite small so the overspill area was the walkway……. We weren’t more than 5 mins into the walk and it poured down…………..very pleasant stroll ahead(!!!)…..

A waterfall turned gushing stream was in our path so everyone had to go over the rock stepping stones…..



everyone we came across looked similarly drenched…..


got to the end and took photos of the base of the glacier, it was as expected, a sudden huge barrier of craggy ice, which rose up the glacial valley.




One of natures “must sees” on this trip.
I don’t mind getting wet so it was a good morning out.




We stopped off at a historic bridge as we left the glacier road.





This afternoon we have taken ourselves off to a nearby glacial lake an walked around it, through the Rainforest .

Buttercups abound here and this photo has Mount Cook in the distance at last to be seen. The rain cloud cleared, and I think we have covered every weather cept snow today as we ended up after the walk carrying most of our clothes and hot!


Leaving tomorrow for Queenstown and a four night stopover in
a luxury hotel on the lake, in fact it is supposed to be the best one on the lake .

So bye for now
suexxxxx