Wednesday 26th February
Just a quick post because I’m very tired. (In fact so tired that I fell asleep while blogging so I’m completing this the next morning!) This morning we left the excellent Arthur’s Pass Motel (very smart and clean, I would definitely stay there again) and went for a walk to the viewpoint at Bealey’s Spur Track. Oh dear, it was very hot - I really struggled with the 7.5 km / 370 metres route. I asked James to go ahead of me so that I could walk at my own pace and he walked all the way to the hut, an extra 5 km round trip, and then met me at the viewpoint just as I arrived there, which was good timing. I was so glad that I had made it; the views of the surrounding mountains and valleys were spectacular. The river below was a “braided river” with many ribbons of water, and we could see snow capped mountains in the distance. It was still uncomfortably hot on our way down the hill because the only welcome breeze was at the viewpoint.
We had drinks back at Arthur’s Pass before setting off on our three and a half hour journey to Franz Josef Glacier. The roads were quiet and the scenery was beautiful; we left the mountains, arrived at the coast, and turned south through farming country. Soon we approached the mountains again and arrived at the small but lively town of Franz Josef. We stretched our legs by exploring the town which is very touristy but attractive - lots of motels and restaurants. Our motel (Aspen Court) is another winner - absolutely pristine and I would recommend it. After dinner we watched the sunset on the mountains.
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