Today we did about 70kms (so about 44 miles) going from Harihari (where the rain made us think of harikari) Tavern's motor camp to Top10 Holiday Park, Franz Josef, including a trip to the very face of the glacier itself.They sell sunglasses in the shop in Harihari where we had breakfast (the omelette was very good), which led to the following exchange....Q: What is the point of sunglasses on NZ's west coast? A: They stop the bees flying into your eyes.Ah, the truth because it is, of course, raining steadily and there is no chance today as for the last, oh, 4 or 5 days that we will see the sun.We left Harihari just after Steve and Carol, the long term round the world cyclists. We then stopped to appreciate a replica of Guy Menzies biplane which, in 1931, flew across the Tasman Sea so becoming the first to solo fly across to NZ from Oz. He crashed into the La Fontaine swamp, ending up upside down. But he was unhurt. He died in 1940, off the coast of Sicily in a Sunderland, shot down by the Italian Airforce. A thrilling life, if short.
There's a fair sized hill shortly after Harihari and then a series of more modest ups and downs with, today, the rain steadily soaking us along with sweat since it's warm and humid. We bought a basic lunch in Whataroa (lovely name) where Carol and Steve rolled into town as we were leaving - they are carrying more than us and have slower rolling tyres (mountain bike style). We passed various lakes, crossed several full and muddy rivers on one lane bridges and hauled up, booked in, drank some tea and pitched in the rain. Then we cycled the 5 kms to the start of the glacier walk, which took us just over an hour walking mostly on a river bed to get to within about 100 yards of the glacier face.The proximity of the glacier makes the air very cold. It's a tremendous sight, descending from a long line of 3000+m mountains, including Mt Cook (3754m) and Mt Tasman (3497m). Not such good visibility today and raining steadily but still a tremendous sight.Then back via a very pretty church - St. James - 1931 in a half timbered clapperboard style. The East Window, or altar window, has a view of glaciers (at the moment - it retreated between 1954-ish and 1995-ish).Now back at the campsite with a heap of shopping, about to embark on the construction of a mega salad.Oh and if you thnk my yellow cagoul (photo above) is horribly dirty and seems to be growing mould, well yes but I just can't find anything as good at a decent price... Even the mould has become an (m)old friend.
Today we did about 70kms (so about 44 miles) going from Harihari (where the rain made us think of harikari) Tavern's motor camp to Top10 Holiday Park, Franz Josef, including a trip to the very face of the glacier itself.They sell sunglasses in the shop in Harihari where we had breakfast (the omelette was very good), which led to the following exchange....Q: What is the point of sunglasses on NZ's west coast? A: They stop the bees flying into your eyes.Ah, the truth because it is, of course, raining steadily and there is no chance today as for the last, oh, 4 or 5 days that we will see the sun.We left Harihari just after Steve and Carol, the long term round the world cyclists. We then stopped to appreciate a replica of Guy Menzies biplane which, in 1931, flew across the Tasman Sea so becoming the first to solo fly across to NZ from Oz. He crashed into the La Fontaine swamp, ending up upside down. But he was unhurt. He died in 1940, off the coast of Sicily in a Sunderland, shot down by the Italian Airforce. A thrilling life, if short.
There's a fair sized hill shortly after Harihari and then a series of more modest ups and downs with, today, the rain steadily soaking us along with sweat since it's warm and humid. We bought a basic lunch in Whataroa (lovely name) where Carol and Steve rolled into town as we were leaving - they are carrying more than us and have slower rolling tyres (mountain bike style). We passed various lakes, crossed several full and muddy rivers on one lane bridges and hauled up, booked in, drank some tea and pitched in the rain. Then we cycled the 5 kms to the start of the glacier walk, which took us just over an hour walking mostly on a river bed to get to within about 100 yards of the glacier face.The proximity of the glacier makes the air very cold. It's a tremendous sight, descending from a long line of 3000+m mountains, including Mt Cook (3754m) and Mt Tasman (3497m). Not such good visibility today and raining steadily but still a tremendous sight.Then back via a very pretty church - St. James - 1931 in a half timbered clapperboard style. The East Window, or altar window, has a view of glaciers (at the moment - it retreated between 1954-ish and 1995-ish).Now back at the campsite with a heap of shopping, about to embark on the construction of a mega salad.Oh and if you thnk my yellow cagoul (photo above) is horribly dirty and seems to be growing mould, well yes but I just can't find anything as good at a decent price... Even the mould has become an (m)old friend.