Glacier Country + Queenstown = Adventure!

Franz Josef

To explore the New Zealand glaciers we stayed in Franz Josef. We took the Helliservices three glacier (Franz Josef, Tasman, and Fox) tour with a glacier landing. It was a fantastic morning with no wind or clouds, so our pilot could give us the full tour. It was Diane’s first ride in a helicopter as well. We had spectacular views and it was an amazing experience.

We then explored the area. First we hiked to Matheson Lake which is popular because of the mirrored views of the glaciers. Then we hiked near the base of Franz Josef Glacier to Peter’s Pool (named after a 9 year old boy who discovered it while out exploring and camping alone in 1894). The trail takes you over swinging bridges which are ubiquitous in NZ.

From Franz Josef we drove to Wanaka, including a stop at Jackson Bay for lunch – the furthest point south on the West Coast Road. We had lunch at a tiny but great restaurant, right on the water, called the Craypot. We asked for the grilled fresh fish (which was on the menu), but the waitress convinced us that everything needed to be breaded, so we had delicious, fried, fish and chips.

Our next stop were the Blue Pools. The water comes directly from a glacier so it was extremely cold, and the clarity and color was amazing. We did not swim, but some hardy souls did.

Wanaka

In Wanaka we went to the Rippon Winery. It is by reservation only and they give a 30 minute tasting with detailed explanation of how they create their wonderful wines. The location has spectacular views of Lake Wanaka. Their wines were all delicious!

The hostess was taking our picture (above) and told us about a great hike to Rob Roy Glacier. We decided to do the hike the next day, and it turned out to be one of our top hikes ever. The drive to the trailhead was an adventure itself as it passed through open range, on gravel roads, with more than 10 fords. We saw active sheep and cattle herding with dogs working hard. We had to stop the car a couple times to let the herds and shepherds pass.

The hike to the base of Rob Roy Glacier was a steady climb. There were countless waterfalls and multiple fingers of the glacier spilling down over the rocks below. It was stunning.

After the glacier hike, we drove about 10 minutes back down the road to a rarely used trail to Wishbone Falls. After a short walk, we were able to take a refreshing swim below the falls. An awesome end to an awesome day!

Queenstown

After the glacier hike we drove to Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world. Our first experience was a jetboat ride up the Dart River with twists, turns, 360 spins and lots of splashes followed by a funyak (inflatable canoe) paddle back down river.

The ride down the Dart River was very tame through beautiful scenery. The best part was a stop at the Rockburn Chasm where we were able to paddle up a slot canyon then jump off the rocks into the freezing cold glacier water. The wetsuits were a big help in staying warm.

Another highlight in Queenstown was paragliding from Coronet Peak. We have enjoyed watching people paraglide in Boulder, but now was our chance to try them ourselves. It was so peaceful and fun, we might take lessons!

Another fun outing in Queenstown was a boat trip on a steamship to Walter Peak High Country Farm for a BBQ, sheep shearing, and sheep herding demonstration. The steamship was the real deal and they allowed passengers to look and go into the engine compartment. We were fascinated by the whole operation of the engines. The captain signaled the engine crew the direction and speed of the engines through cables controlling dials in the engine room. There were even a couple ‘stoker’ guys shoveling coal into the boilers – the heat was intense.

Once we reached the farm we enjoyed a delicious BBQ meal lakeside.

The sheep shearing demonstration was surprising. Apparently, if sheep do not have their hooves on the ground they become relatively docile. The sheep shearer was able to shear this sheep within seconds. He used one of his herding dogs (Kim – the brown pup) to bring sheep into the corral from the pasture through commands and whistles. We learned they don’t teach them “sit” or “lay down” since they are working dogs and they need them at the ready. The dogs are short hair, Australian shepherds, and they herd by movement and looking at the sheep, not barking. It was a very interesting demonstration.

After all of our the adventures around Queenstown we decided to wind down in the Onsen Pools at sunset. It was very relaxing.

Queenstown has been a blast, and now we are looking forward to our next adventure hiking the Milford Track and taking the Doubtful Sound cruise in Fiordland.