Saturday, 7th March, New Zealand South Island day 30 – Te Anau to Fox Glacier
Today is a driving day. We are making the 480km journey from Te Anau to Fox up the west coast to see the glacier. The west coast of the South Island stretches 600 km from north to south and is only 70 km at its widest point. It’s a kaleidoscope of changing scenery – alpine, beech forest, high country grassland, merino sheep, deer, tussocks, dark mountains providing an ever-present backdrop, deep gullies, hills dappled with sunlight, cloud shadows drifting across the landscape, patches of dense green forest, far-reaching vistas and winding roads. Intermittant rain creating impromtu roadside waterfalls are a frequent distraction. The road follows of the shores of lake Wanaka an Hawea and we stop several times to admire the most amazing views of the lakes and surrounding mountains. Clouds hang low and dark whilst rays of sunlight break through to illuminate the waters and create pools of bright blue. Further on, passed Haast, at Bruce Bay the road runs along the coast for a while there are impressive vistas of the crashing surf of the Tasman Sea. There is a bike race in progress and as the cyclists pass us we can hardly begin to wonder at their fortitude and unimaginable stamina in tackling the inclement weather and the impossible gradients. We stop at the Salmon Cafe, seemingly situated in the middle of nowhere, for a break and coffee and chocolate and the most melt-in-your-mouth cheese scone ever. It never ceases to amaze how these little out-of-the-way places manage to survive on what seems like minimal passing trade.
Word of the day heard on a local radio station: Chillax – to relax and chill