Queenstown To Fox Glacier Day 6 Go Ahead NZ Untamed Landscapes #goaheadtours #newzealand

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Traveler's Log Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Transfer to Fox Glacier

Kia Ora
We wake Tuesday morning to a beautiful sunny spring day. I'm really hopeful that once we reach Fox Glacier the helicopters will be flying and the glacier will be amazing. I pull out the sunscreen from my suitcase and move it to my carry bag.

After breakfast we're on the bus and ready to roll but some of our luggage isn't down yet so we hang out waiting for the porters. I could really have used this half hour sleeping, oh well. Buck up Sparky we're in New Zealand, get over it.

Erica, our tour guide has received a request to stop at the AJ Hackett Bungy Kawarau Bridge. We have to drive right past on our way to the west coast so a stop is planned.

Today we're traveling east, then north, then west on Route 6. Those pesky mountains get in the way sometimes.

Kawarau Gorge and Suspension Bridge is the site of the original AJ Hackett Bungy jumping.


We're traveling through the Otago Region of New Zealand. Famous for it's wine. There are vineyards everywhere. Most of the small towns we pass through were found during the 1800s Gold Rush. Some survived, some did not.

Our next stop is at Jones's Fruit Stall in Cromwell. Their fruit and vegetables are plentiful but what is really impressive is their many, many rose gardens on the property.




As I said, it's a glorious spring morning. And not too early for ice cream second breakfast, which Mrs. Jones's is also famous for. Jay tries the Hokey Pokey and I go for cookies and cream with fresh berries mushed in.

Back on the road and our next comfort stop is at Lake Hawea. During our bus ride, each of the travelers is given an opportunity to introduce themselves and tell a joke. We we arrive at the Lake, everyone is in awe. Such beauty.


We pass through The Neck, where Lake Wanaka is on the left and Lake Hawea is on the right.



We travel along Lake Wanaka's shoreline to Makarora for our early lunch break.


We're now heading to the Westlands around the Mount Aspring National Park. Outside of Makoroa heading west on the Haast Highway we stop at Thunder Creek Falls to stretch our legs and watch this force of nature.




We stop at the Haast Field Centre for a brief break.





Then a quick photo-op stop at Knight's Point Lookout. During the 1950s a road was constructed from the South Island's east coast, through Hasst Pass to the west coast to join the road that terminated in Ross. The road crews met at Knight's Point, which was named after one of the surveyor's dogs.




The skies are getting darker and the fog is rolling in. My hope for a helicopter ride is starting to fade.

We arrive at Fox Glacier and check into our motel.


We cross the parking lot to the helicopter booking shop and find out that they are not flying this afternoon, in fact they only flew from 10 a.m. to noon and had to cancel all other flights due to the weather. We re-book for 8:10 a.m. Wednesday morning and leave with our fingers crossed (Me, Barbara, Klaus, Suzanne, Rianne and Nathan)

Jay and I walk around looking for some place to eat and end up back at the motel's The White Pub for dinner of seafood chowder and Speight's  Dark Beer on draft.

Then it's off to bed, really hoping the weather clears for our flight on Wednesday morning.

More images from our travel to Fox Glacier: https://photosbynanci.smugmug.com/New-Zealand-2016/Fox-Glacier-Tuesday/

Next we travel up the coast to Hokitika


Day 1 and 2-Travel Days to New Zealand
Day 3 Queenstown
Day 6 Fox Glacier
Day 7 Hokitika
Day 8 Nelson
Day 9 Nelson, Abel Tasman Park
Day 10 Wellington
Day 11 Wellington
Day 12 Rotorua
Day 13 Rotorua
Day 14 Auckland
Day 15 Auckland and departure





FYI Christchurch Quake Map There was a 7.8M quake a few days before we landed. This map shows all the quakes then and now.



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