Just to prove that we are on the other side of the world and in the Southern Hemisphere tonight we set the clock back one hour.
Our plan this morning was to visit Fox Glacier and then meet Aurelie and Maud at the Visitor Center of Franz Josef Glacier at 1:00. We pulled into the Fox Glacier parking lot about 11:00 and took the hike to the viewpoint of the Glacier. About 3/4 of the way up we spotted Aurelie and Maud making the same trip. The Glacier view was good but not great. Aurelie and Maud wanted to do a long hike at the Franz Josef Glacier so we followed them to the trailhead where Susan and I found a shorter hike to a viewpoint below the Glacier. Our hike was about two hours and gave us some good views of the Glacier. We decided to meet at the Okarito Campground which is right on the ocean about 45 minutes north of the Glacier. We pitched the tent and went for a walk on the beach. We were just finishing dinner when the ladies arrived.
Thursday morning had us driving our separate cars to Greymouth where Aurelie and Maud turned their car in and we managed to combine all the gear and ourselves into one car. I need to back up about a week or so and mention that when John and I finished the Heaphy Track he left his SPOT on top of a fence post. When he returned about an hour later to retrieve it it was gone. John called the DOC (Department of Conservation) to report it missing in case someone turned it in. Well miracles do happen and I got a call from DOC on Monday that it had been turned into their office in Westport. Amazing. We drove through there today and I was able to pick it up. Not even a detour! The four of us stayed in a two bedroom unit in Karamea which is the last town before the Heaphy. Aurelie and Maud fixed us dinner and we all had a wonderful evening.
Friday morning had us up at 6:30 so Aurelie and Maud could get an early start and also because Susan and I had a long drive ahead of us to Hamner Springs. The Heaphy trailhead is about a 20 minute drive north of Karamea and is the end of the road on the west coast. After dropping them off and taking a few pictures we drove south for a few kilometers and pulled off the road to take a sunrise stroll on the beach. We arrived in Hamner Springs about 3:00 and checked into the Settlers Motel where John and I stayed sometime in early March. The plan was to spend two days here so I could have a day without driving. We walked around town for a while and then had dinner and a couple of beers. Yes, Susan joined me for a beer. How cool is that?
Today we had a very leisurely morning and this afternoon we took a long hike in the mountains above Hamner Springs. We had intended to visit the hot springs but just get around to it. We went to 5:00 Mass at the very small local church. On the way in we met the priest who I'm sure is in his 70s and says Sunday Mass in five different communities. Tonight Susan fixed a fabulous dinner of grilled lamb chops, grilled pepper, carrots and a salad. Susan is cleaning up while I finish this. We will head out for a short walk around town before calling it a night.
Ocean view
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