Days 12, 13 and 14. From Manapouri to Fox Glacier, Franz Josef Glacier and Christchurch

On the morning of February 12 at 7:45, I checked out of my hotel in Manapouri and headed toward Fox Glacier, via Lake Hawea. I already knew the road, but I still had to stop for photos because the weather had been bad in some of those places the previous time I passed through. In the area around that lake, mobile signal and internet disappeared, and I started thinking I would only get back online once I reached Christchurch. But by evening, when I arrived at my destination, the connection returned in the settlement named after the glacier.

There are not many gas stations on this route, so it is best to fill the tank somewhere near Queenstown. That should be enough to get you to Haast, where you can refuel again, continue to the village near the glacier, and top up once more there.

On the way to the glacier I passed many beautiful lakes. At some point, after seeing yet another stunning lake, I no longer even felt like stopping to photograph it.

I stopped at a place near Ship Creek. There was a parking area there and good access to the ocean shore.

By the way, while driving along lakes, rivers, and the ocean, you cannot always reach the shore directly. Very often the banks are fenced off. Public access to the water exists only in designated places, usually marked by road signs.

I reached the village at 19:50, checked in, and quickly drove to the glacier so I could still see it and take photos before sunset. I drove fast, then ran the rest of the way, skirting the river that flows from the glacier along its eastern side. The walk is about 30 minutes uphill, and there are warning signs everywhere because the place is essentially a gorge where rocks can fall from above. I made it there without incident. On the way up I met several people coming down, and when I reached the viewpoint, I realized I was the last person there that day. To get there, you have to hop over stones with water running between them. I stayed dry in the end, though it had not rained that day. On some days, I imagine the crossing is harder because of stronger flows coming down from the mountain.

After taking photos, I came back down to the car and nearly ran over an opossum standing in the road staring into the distance. I was not able to observe it up close: as soon as I got out of the car and ran toward it, it disappeared into the grass.

The next day I got up early, checked out, and prepared for another 500 km drive back to Christchurch. Be sure to take a cloth for the car so you can wipe the windows. That day, for the first time, I came to the car and found it covered in condensation, with nothing to clean it with. From the hotel I drove back to Fox Glacier to try approaching it from the western side of the river, but unfortunately the trail entrance was closed for safety reasons.

I took a few photos of the barely visible glacier from the forest and then drove on toward Christchurch. On the way, I stopped at a viewpoint with a good view of Franz Josef Glacier. There was also an option to go on a several-hour hike there, but I no longer had time for it.

In the village of Franz Josef Glacier, I saw ads for helicopter tours to the glaciers. They offered me many options, and the most expensive and comprehensive one cost 450 New Zealand dollars. It included an hour-long flight during which they would show you two glaciers and circle Mount Cook, which I never managed to reach or see up close. But those flights were only available in the second half of the day, so I chose a cheaper option instead. The helicopter carried five passengers. For 250 New Zealand dollars, they flew you onto Fox Glacier, dropped you off there, and gave you time to take photos. They asked us to take only cameras and leave everything else in lockers at the airfield. They even told me to leave my jacket behind, because it was warm on the glacier despite the snow around us and the fact that we were at 2,000 meters above sea level. On the glacier, we chatted with the pilot and the other travelers. Everyone was surprised that I was from Russia; they probably do not often meet Russians there. Most visitors were Chinese, Japanese, and Australians. Russians are thought to have a hard time getting there. At least that is what people assume. Personally, I did not feel the flight itself was especially difficult. Yes, it is long, but the journey is interesting: in 26 hours you manage to pass through three countries, enjoy the view from the window, eat good food on the plane, and, if you get bored, watch films on the screen built into the seat in front of you.

Then I drove along the coast to Hokitika. There I visited another ocean beach, much dirtier than the one I had been to earlier. There were many trees thrown ashore by the waves, and it looked as though nobody ever cleared them away.

After running around with a tripod and camera to avoid the incoming waves, I continued on my way. Before reaching Greymouth, I turned toward Christchurch. I admired many landscapes, some of which I had already seen from the train on my second day in New Zealand. If you are traveling by car, do not bother with the train. That was my mistake. On the train you can cover long distances and see beautiful scenery, but it all flashes by in a rush while the train keeps moving. By car, on the other hand, you can stop wherever you want and spend as much time at each place as you like. Besides, the train is far too expensive compared with renting a car.

After crossing yet another mountain pass, I drove into bad weather. It was pouring with rain, and it was hard to believe that an hour earlier I had been standing on the ocean shore worried about getting sunburned. By the time I reached Christchurch, the rain had eased. I checked into the hotel and went out for one last drive around the city. I went up a hill near Christchurch and drove through the two-kilometer tunnel toward Lyttelton. That was the end of my New Zealand trip.

The next day I packed my suitcase, drove around the city a little more, and then returned the car. What surprised me was that I handed them the keys, they took them, and did not even look at the car to see whether I had scratched it or filled the tank. They simply accepted the keys and kindly drove me to the airport.

That is all. I would recommend that everyone fly to New Zealand. I am planning to go there again myself, but this time for three weeks so I can drive across the North Island and revisit the parts of the South Island I missed. While writing this blog, I noticed some places I had passed quite close to without actually visiting. So perhaps one day I will have a chance to see them too.