We began the day by returning to Avalance Creek Falls to appreciate what was creating the noise we couldn't appreciate in the darkness last night. It was a pretty sight. We then spent an hour climbing up a very steep rocky 'path' to the Devil's Punchbowl Falls which cascade from a height of 131 metres. It was a tricky path to navigate which caused me to take many a photograph. Unfortunately we had picked the wrong time of day to make our ascent as the sun was shining brightly from above the waterfall and the combination of sun glare and mist made for difficult viewing. Still, I made a couple of slow exposure shots to experiment with my new found camera operating skills!
Before we left Arthurs Pass we paused to eat bananas and check the oil in the car, since it had been mentioned to Ian that we are responsible for checking and maintaining the engine oil, I didn't fancy a huge bill from the mechanics for the motor burning oil! Lucky we checked as it happens as we were shocked to find that there was barely a mark made by the oil on the dipstick! Even more luckily, Arthurs Pass, a very small 'town' which focuses on the main highway, is home to a petrol station which sells engine oil and an AA recovery service, for those tourists who don't check their oil or even worse leave their lights on an fall asleep for an hour... [Editors Note: I think this warrants Cliff's, from DTS, Bucket of Shame Award.] At the petrol station I learned, from a postcard, that my hyacinth type flowers are in fact alpine lupins.
We drove straight through to Hokitika, pausing at Mount Rolleston for a picture and stopping at Devils Death Corner to view the Otira viaduct which was opened in November 1999. Around the corner from there was another viewpoint where we were entertained by two keas. They are huge birds. They waddle around like ducks and mimic a comical run to try and get food. They are evidently keen to chew rubber and plastic and twice I had to rid one of them from our car roof! We were both keen with our cameras so we should have some good pictures. Unfortunately, tourists will be tourists and despite the Department of Conservation's efforts to discourage keas dependancy on human beings and their fatty foods, people continue to be irresponsible and teach their children bad ways by feeding the wild birds. It sickens me.
We stopped in Hokitika for some lunch and I took the opportunity to buy more camera film and photograph the high street for my folks back home. It happens that my Dad's cousin lives in Hokitika and although I didn't think we would get to meet this time round I wanted to give my family something by way of a visual reference showing them the town in which our relative resides.
We purchased some more supplies from the local supermarket and Ian insisted on buying a large tray of chocolate chip cookies from a bakery. It struck us that being the last Saturday before Christmas everything was extremely quiet and there was hardly any people about. Those that were present and that we encountered were not friendly and didn't give you any sense of festive spirit, except for one chap. Outside his shop was parked a beautiful shining silver beast. Neither Ian nor I knew what she was but while Ian fetched the car I took a picture of her an enquired within about her heritage. It transpired that she was a 2000 replica of a 1938 Alfa Romeo. Her original, along with three others, raced in an Italian race at her creation and of the two that completed the race she was the winner. During the race there were in excess of fifteen fatalities and from then on the car was gifted to a museum from which it never returned. There were only ever two replicas made, one of which I had just photographed. Apparently, therefore, the replicas are as rare as the originals. The chap was very keen to take me out, with me driving, for a mere NZD 60 for 30 minutes, but as we had a gruelling schedule to adhere to I politely declined. More fool me! He even offered to let me drive in our general direction and then return the car to Hokitika while we continued on our journey...
As we were leaving Hokitika, having driven in the road parallel to the one in which my second cousin lives I asked Ian to turn around and head back in to the town so we could knock on the door of my relative to meet him before we continued our journey to Haast.
Within minutes we were parked outside the house and I knocked on the door. I waited, and waited, and knocked again. I waited some more, knocked again, and again but sadly there was no response from within! We returned to the car, somewhat disappointed, but satisfied that we had tried to meet Martin. And I took a photograph of his house as evidence that I had been there! Sorry Martin, if you're reading this, I hope you don't mind...
On the way down to Franz Josef we were passing within a reasonable distance of the Southern Alps. Not that you'd know it for the low cloud. We couldn't see a thing. I was disappointed. That's all I have to say about that.
We arrived at Franz Josef and made our way to the beginning of the pathway to the glacier. It was allegedly a 2 hour return walk but we made it in an hour, although we were walking at quite a determined rate across the riverbed. When we reached the safety rope identifying the distance from the foot of the glacier which was deemed to be safe, we were some 300 metres away which I was a little disappointed by. I got the impression from reading the Department of Conservation information that we would be within reaching distance of the glacier if not permitted to touch it. It was still remarkable from a distance despite the low cloud closing in. It was another interesting walk to reach the safety rope along the stony riverbed.
After Franz Josef we had time working against us. We still had a 2 hour drive to Haast where we stay for one night yet we wanted to see Fox Glacier and Lake Matheson. Ian made the decision that there would be no more today and I made him agree to return tomorrow. We stopped in Fox Glacier anyway to eat some tea before making a speedy attempt to get to Haast before sunset. We made it there in a little over an hour and arrived as the sun was setting...
Another falcon was seen near the roadside this afternoon. We also passed over some curious road scenarios today. The first was a railway line passing across the centre of a roundabout and the second, the most dangerous situation I could imagine, was a single lane bridge which was a give way to omcoming traffic and railway traffic from both directions! What was worse was that you had to position yourself on the railway line to see if there was anything coming from either direction! How mad is that? We travelled 410 kilometres from Arthurs Pass to Haast.