South along the West Coast

The day we left Hamner Springs was grey and wet. This is good news as wet weather on the East Coast means good weather on the West Coast.

We headed over the Lewis Pass with intentions of arriving in Hokitaki in the evening. Even with the wet conditions the drive was spectacular as we drove through lush forests, and wound our way up and down the hills and mountains.

Our first stop was at Cape Foulwind, named by Captain Cook in the 1780s for its unfriendly and constant winds. There we saw a colony of New Zealand Fur Seals playing in the rough waters, and lounging on the rocks. There were many young pups scrambling among the rocks, but not brave enough yet to enter the waves.

From there we travelled another 100km to Panikaiki, also know as Pancake Rocks. They are so named for the interesting way the rocks have formed to look like stacks of pancakes. And then there are the blow holes that shoot water and mist 100s of feet into the air.

Given it was a long day of travelling we stopped in Greymouth and had a nice dinner in the hotel restaurant.

For many parts of the drive the coastline was always on our right hand side. According to travel books and magazines this is one of the world's Top 10 drives. If you ever have the chance to do this drive - take it.

And if you get lost you can always ask for directions from the thousands of sheep or cattle along the way.

The next day we left for Hokitaki and did a walk through the Hokitaki Gorge. The glacier water that runs through the gorge is an amazing blue, and quite cold. We made our way to the edge of the river, and could only keep our hands in the water for a few seconds.

After the Gorge we booked accommodation in Franz Josef and made our way there. The Franz Josef Glacier, along with the Fox Glacier, are two of the most accessible glaciers among the hundreds that are in this part of New Zealand. We arrived in a mist, but did a short walk to the bottom of the glacier. In a word it is spectacular. Also amazing is seeing how far the glacier has retreated since 1750.

We are staying two nights in Franz Josef, and on our second day we'll be doing a heli hike. A helicopter trip will take us far up the glacier, then we'll do a two hour hike on the millions of year old ice.

Talk again soon.

Photo: Blowholes at Panikaiki