From cold Queenstown we headed to Franz Josef Glacier. This was going to be the coldest place we would visit and I had come prepared. I had packed one pair of thermal gloves, one pair of thick socks, a scarf and my puffer jacket. All items of clothing had been worn many times and were beginning to look the worse for wear! I had no choice. I packed them at the top of my suitcase.
Back on the Highway we headed up the west coast to our penultimate destination. Our accommodation was described as staying true to the ‘Arts and Crafts’ style of architecture. Different. The colonial homestead had been lovingly restored and the beautiful rimu timbers whispered the history of this 1926 family home. Sounded interesting! Every one of our accommodations had been so different, all first class and highly recommended! We would be staying for two nights so could spread out and hang up some clothes which looked as if they had been buried at the bottom of the ironing basket!
The house was beautiful. The owners were so helpful. We were made to feel at home in their immaculate en-suite bedroom. The balcony overlooked an old barn with a backdrop of stunning views of the hills. That evening we walked through a little wood to the town centre and had a superb meal.
We had been told to take a torch if we wanted to walk back through the wood. The other route was via the motorway, empty at that time of night, but boring! It was as we were preparing to leave that my husband realised he had forgotten to bring his pride and joy, his torch with the brightness of a million candles! Or so the manufacturers had claimed!
‘Don’t worry’, I told him nonchalantly, ‘glow worms will be our guides! They’re even better than your fancy torch and far more fun!’ So we left the restaurant with street lights illuminating the way to the wood at the end of the road. Actually, if you didn’t know there was a wood at the end of the road, you would be forgiven for thinking it was a huge black hole and something to be avoided at all cost!
We reached the opening of the black hole and it was pitch black! The bravado of earlier had disappeared and I was feeling very vulnerable. Anyone (or anything) could be lurking in that dark pit! But then, as I was about to suggest the motorway route home, I spotted a tiny, flashing light. I moved towards it and then looked further out. I couldn’t believe my eyes! Masses of tiny flickering lights lined both sides of the path, not giving off much light but keeping us on the straight and narrow! A magical walk home under a starry sky and accompanied by what we believed to have been tiny fairy lanterns when we were little, living in South Africa!
The next day was dry but cold, perfect for exercise which we got in abundance! We walked as far as we could to the Franz Josef glacier, marvelling at the size of this huge frozen lake which must be seen to be believed! We were even warm enough to take off our jackets and feel the illusive sun on our backs! A novel experience which we thoroughly enjoyed! We saw some beautiful coloured rocks and stones on our walk to the glacier and I would have loved to have taken some home for my rockery! We finished the day with an old mine trail walk from Okarito, to Three Mile Lagoon. Because the tide had come in we had to retrace our steps and follow the same route back! I did 37,030 steps that day! Fitbit was ecstatic! I was exhausted!
The next day we headed up to Greymouth to board the Tranz Alpine train back to Christchurch. The scenery changed from thick rainforest and native bush to high country grasses. We passed through river valleys, deep gorges and towering viaducts which gave way to vast rivers fed by the many snowfields along the way. We continued west, passing through the foothills of the Southern Alps, over the Canterbury Plains to descend into Christchurch. Once more they had an open viewing carriage which was where my husband spent almost the entire four and a half hours! He only briefly returned to his seat for a drink and a sandwich before rushing back in case he missed any of the stunning scenery!
The next day we boarded our plane to Auckland, then on to Sydney and a week’s stay with my sister and brother in law in the centre of this beautiful city. My brother in law had prepared an eye-watering itinerary! He had been born and brought up here so every day would be filled with more visual delights!
But I’ll never forget our three weeks in New Zealand. Despite the rain, cold, wind and snow we had met some unforgettable people, stayed in first class accommodation, had amazing meals and feasted our eyes on spectacular scenery! We’re definitely going back, sooner rather than later! 👠
Jenny Burrell 