The perfect tree- then to rugged ice and rock.

From queenstown on thursday, a sad farewell, but onto more beautiful places, the drive to wanaka, taking a short cut however this being one of the most windy roads ive ever been on, it made more nice scenary and alot of fun along the way. Reaching wanaka, another lake, mountains, could this country be me anymore, smileing again infact how do i stop smiling. Staying at the purple cow backpackers, spending the afternoon, relaxing with the cups of tea and making some plans for the trips ahead. A very organised backpackers plus a football in our rooom....:):).

Friday, waking up to some rain, we walked around the small town, making enquiries about walks round the area, the plan was mount roy but weather conditions at this level were not ideal and so being up a mountain may not be the best plan instead, we felt the calming nature of wananak sat and chatted and with some luck a blue sky afternoon, a walk along the shores of the lake, where i stumbled accross my perfect tree(pictures to follow the blogs in afew days) lots of pictures, ideally the best journal spot, a lonely tree and the foot of the lake, mountains in the background trees behind and a perfect branch to sit at!!

From there we made dinner, having people to travel with is great meals for one can be a little cumbersom(if thats the right word) so we made a great meal and there was another day gone.

Saturday, the drive to glacier country :)!!! Getting up at 5.30am so that we could fit in walks along the way. Driving to the west coast ment we missed the sunrise becuase of the mountains hiding the sunrise, however seeing the blue pools certainly made up for it! We walked to were the river reveals incredable coloration of the water, that turkquise colour once again. It was a great way to begin our amazing day, walking over some swing bridges to the pools, there hard to describe the photos will emphasise them more!! The walk continued, showing soils with podsol characteristics, rock with iron deposits, i found myself stoping numerous times exploring...then stubbling accros some natural art work, using the peices of broken rock, new zeland writen on the flood plain of river deposits. Picture time, we walked into a valley and saw more beautiful mountains in the distance.

Back onto the road again, the drive as beuatiful as the previous drives, its hard to keep focussed on the roads..... a u turn with out power steers makes for an amusing story.....this done becouse of a view luckily a deserted road and so we could turn and get that pictures. The drives hear are amazing how within afew hours the scenary has changed. Then seeing that west coast, a bruce bay numerous natural scultures...for years people have taken a stone from the beach or stones and drift would and made there own little natural artwork and finish it by making a wish. Stoping hear to do just that, the road side is lined with this cool scultures, names righten on roacks the odd national flag added in. (be warned sand flys have relised that we alll like to stop hear).

Later in the day i droped my firend im traveling with of at the start of a 2 day walk she is doing and i made my way to glacier country. First stop fox :)! Being like a little kid in a sweet shop. Driving up one of the viewing roads i stoped myself taking a sneek peek at one of the view points. Desiding i wanted to see the glacier after a walk. So at a fare pase i made my way along one of the walking tracks then finally seeing the glacier, the morain clear to see adds to the glacier, the coplouration of ice and even though in glacier terms this is small the scale of them....this being my first reall sight of one. I was extremly happy, i sat for 15 minutes just appreciating the natural process of the ince and the erosional processes that have taken place.

Walking accross to the other viewing road i took the walk along the valley to where you can get very close to the front of the glacier. Walking on the valley floor on the fluvial deposits and seeing how the glacier and smothed the valley walls. Being up close the colouration of the ice. Seeing the sign showing where the glacier was in 1935 was very interesting. From the glacier to a beautiful lake, lake matheson just outside the small town of fox, another walk to keep me smiling, walking around the mirrord lake was a great way to finished the afternoon. It wasnt until later i relised that the lake is there for you to see the mirrord image of mount cook.... luckily there was some cloud and you couldnt see it anyway. But i meerly loved walking around the lake, where as its so popular becuase of this mirror image!

From fox to franz joseph...extremly windey roads!! Around 6pm time to check into the backpackers and an evening there.