Alps, Glacier and Rainforest

One of the most popular touristic highlights is Milford Sound in the south west of New Zealand. Te Anau seems to be the perfect base for a visit.

The road to Milford Sound leads through a nice fjord landscape. On the spot I book in a boat tour. Sometimes you have to be an ordinary tourist…

Well, it’s not the Geyranger/Norway, but it’s nice anyway. The road towards and backwards was spectacular at least.

Milford Sound

Milford Sound

Jumpin' Seal Flash, it's a gas, gas, gas

Jumpin’ Seal Flash, it’s a gas, gas, gas

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On I went to Mt. Cook and here –glaciers are cold- I prefer a motel instead of my tent.

This mountain is quite impressive, even if it shyly tries to hide behind the clouds. The sunset paints the mountain top fire red.

Beeline there are only 70ks between here and Franz-Joseph-Glacier. But there’s no direct connection, so the trip is longer than 300ks.

Mount Cook

Mount Cook

Mt. Cook NP

Mt. Cook NP

Catch The Rainbow (Blackmore/Dio)

Catch The Rainbow (Blackmore/Dio)

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You have to hide your drink very well in an alc banned area…

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So I made a stopover in Haast. Greg –you remember him, the local from the ferry- recommended me a restaurant in Jackson Bay, where I could get the best fish & chips in New Zealand. Well, it was a 54ks dead end road and worth every single meter! The food, presented in an old wagon was just delicious.

All in all a wonderful ride today.

Hungry rider

Hungry rider

Yummi Fish & Chips

Yummi Fish & Chips

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Declarations of Love on a stone…

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…at least they won’t crash historic buildings like Pont Neuf…

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Was the sun shining very bright on my visit at the Fox Glacier, the Franz Joseph Glacier was covered in dark rain clouds.
But the next day he was willingly, too, to present his beauty to the visitors.
On both glaciers were countless helicopter in the air, so elderly Vietnamese tourist were in danger to get a flash back on their old traumata. If that, in times of global warming, causing the melting of the glaciers, is the right way of tourism, I doubt it.

Franz Joseph Glacier

Franz Joseph Glacier

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The next stop on the west side is Greymouth. There starts the west route of the Arthur’s Pass, which is much more interesting to ride than from the east side. On the way back I stop at Shantytown, a historic goldmine town.
Last stop at the west coast will be Westport, including a ride to Keramea. You can’t get further north. And again the beloved game – bends, bends, bends… 🙂
A word to the road conditions in New Zealand: Generally the roads are in good conditions and the countless road word sites prove, that one want to keep them in good conditions. The shocking thing is how much gravel is on the streets, especially in the curves. Obviously they throw an extra bucket gravel in the curves. That’s not fair at all…

3 thoughts on “Alps, Glacier and Rainforest

  1. Franz-Josef-Gletscher … die spinnen die Neuseeländer. Hätte man da nicht ‘n cooleren Namen wählen können?
    Z.B. Hans-Dietrich Genscher-Gletscher! (oder aber auch Genschman-Gletscher genannt).
    Tolle Landschaft!
    Keep on rollin’, Bilbo!

  2. Mt. Cook und Gletscher: geilomat! Sieht sehr schön aus.
    Noch ein Hinweis zu Christchurch: Die Stadt galt (bis zum Erdbeben) als die mit der modernsten, innovativsten Stadtverwaltung der ganzen Welt.
    Und ess mehr Obst! Nicht nur Peperoni-Sticks und Kekse!
    Liebe Grüße aus dem Office
    Patrick (+ Inga)
    PS: Wenn Du im Herbst wieder vor Deiner Klasse stehst, fahre ich mit dem ruhmreichen 1. FSV Mainz 05 durch Europa! Har har – das ist ausgleichende Gerechtigkeit

  3. Ja, Mutti,
    manchmal gibt es auch nen Appel. Allein der Christchurch – Kommentar ist es wert, dass du seit 17 Jahren beim Difu werkelst. Der Steuerzahler dankt. :-):-):-):-)
    Schick mir ne Postkarte aus Molwanien, wenn ihr in dortiger Steppe strandet.

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