Christchurch, Arthur's Pass, Franz Josef, Fox Glaciers
World Trip Two
Tuesday, April 14, 2009: Kaikoura-Christchurch, New Zealand
The ride on the bus from Kaikoura to Christchurch was very pleasant and once again gave us the opportunity to see
the beautiful New Zealand countryside. We arrived late in the center of town, and as the town is not very big, it
was just a short walk to our hotel. We discovered a sushi restaurant on our way and ate raw fish for dinner,
ending a long but relaxing day. We were finally released from the monster truck.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009: Christchurch-Arthur's Pass, New Zealand
Craggy mountains.
We picked up our rental car without a problem and made the drive from Christchurch to Arthur's Pass. Arthur's Pass
is high in the northern part of the Southern New Zealand Alps.
Scree fields.
The only word I can think of that even comes close to describing the scenery is majestic. New Zealand itself, and the
Alps more obviously, are the result of uplifted ancient seafloor. The mountains in this part of the range are made
of sandstone and mudstone, both of which are rather soft rock. Because of this, the mountains are crumbling at
about the same rate they are being pushed upwards by tectonic action. This makes for a very unique landscape. Vast
scree fields are strewn about below and completely cover the sides of the mountains.
The additional forces of glacial sculpting formed massive scree-filled river valleys. Some of the mountains have such
steep sides and loose surfaces that no flora of any kind can take hold on them. This gives the appearance of an
enormous manmade quarry.
More New Zealand beauty.
Once at Arthur's Pass, we went out on a hike. We chose the Avalanche Mountain walk, as its trailhead is just behind
the information center. This is a 6- to 8-hour loop that climbs almost straight up the side of the mountain, then
goes on to the peak and returns by Scott's Trail. We did not have the time, or the weather, to do the complete
hike, so we chose to walk for two hours on it. We walked through native forests filled with Kea and parakeets. We
also encountered four magnificent waterfalls along the way.
The first hour had us climb, and at times rock climb, 2,000 feet above the valley floor. We got just to the edge of
the tree line when the weather and time made us turn around and head back down. As we walked and climbed, we heard
the loud cracking sound made by distant rockslides from the surrounding mountains - the process of mountain crumbling
at work. This was a brilliant walk and the end of a great day.
We spent the night in our hotel room, well sheltered against the harsh weather that came in later that night. The
weather around Arthur's Pass is notorious for changing very quickly; it proved true to form this night.
Arthur's Pass Video
Thursday, April 16, 2009: Arthur's Pass-Franz Josef-Fox Glacier, New Zealand
It was my 51st birthday today. Thank you, everyone, for your kind emails and e-cards. And thank you, David and Mary,
for your card, which Julia diligently carried halfway around the world to present to me when I awoke this morning.
The word to best describe our drive from Arthur's Pass to Fox Glacier could only be: wet. It rained all day and did
not stop until we finally reached our destination. Not just drizzle but pouring rain and high gusty winds. This part
of New Zealand is known for its rain, but even the locals told us it was unusual.
The rain caused everything to flow.
We stopped at Franz Josef to eat lunch and see the glacier there. We took the half-hour return walk, in pouring rain,
to a spot that offered views of the glacier. It was difficult to see in the weather but was still a stupendous sight
to behold.
After this, we continued our drive to Fox Glacier, which was only half an hour further on. As we pulled up at our
motel, the skies cleared and the rain finally stopped. We hope to hike on the glacier tomorrow, but this will depend
on the ever-present and controlling weather.
Rainy Drive Video
Friday, April 17, 2009: Fox Glacier, New Zealand
A raging torrent.
We had steady rain all day today, going from light drizzle to heavy rain. But the hike on the Fox Glacier went ahead
despite the weather. We were given a short briefing about the dangers involved when walking to, on, and from the
glacier, such as house-sized boulders tumbling down cliffs where we would be walking.
Soon, we were on the bus all snug in our waterproof jackets and pants. It did not take long before we were walking in
torrential rain on the path to the glacier. It was amazing to see water pouring out of the cliff walls and scree-filled
rivers flowing around us in full whitewater display. We were told to move very quickly across the track that crossed
the "Gun Barrel," as this was a high-risk avalanche area. Sure enough, several avalanches occurred just after we
cleared it, raining down automobile-sized boulders.
Eventually, we reached a flash-flooding river, which proved impassable. Our guides made several attempts to cross it,
but they gave up, much to our relief. Although we did not get to walk on the glacier, we got much closer than most
would on a day like today. It was an incredible experience.
Fox Glacier Video
Trip Stats
Miles Flown: 7,111
Miles Hiked: 57
Miles Driven: 932
Miles Sailed: 89