New Zealand - South Island (1)

(Greymouth, Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier, Blue Pools, Roys Peak)

We continued our journey from the North Island to the South Island by ferry from Wellington. Originally, we wanted to go to Nelson, from where we planned to visit Abel Tasman National Park. However, a New Zealander on the ferry told us about a large bushfire around Nelson, which ruined our plans. So, we decided to continue driving southeast, which was originally planned after visiting the national park.

We visited the two glaciers, Franz Josef and Fox, which have already lost a lot of ice due to climate change. In a few years, there won't be much left of the glaciers...

We then headed to Roys Peak, a mountain near Lake Wanaka that is popular for hiking. The difference to Tongariro Alpine is that you have to hike uphill the whole time, with numerous switchbacks, and once you reach the top, you can enjoy the views. You can also enjoy the views during the hike. Luckily for us, when we reached the top, all we could see was fog and nothing else. Well, the weather in New Zealand is unpredictable. Nevertheless, the hike was a lot of fun and worth it for the sporty challenge. The one-way distance is 8 km. It is estimated to take 5-6 hours to complete the hike, but we did it in 2 hours ;) Maybe it was because of our amazing Airbnb, which we were looking forward to after a not so pleasant night at Franz Josef Glacier. With Netflix, the most comfortable beds, and in the most charming cottage in New Zealand, we were quite lucky.

We also made a stop at Blue Pools. They greeted us from afar with their crystal clear blue water. At first, we were sad that we didn't have our swimwear with us. But when we dipped our feet in the water, we didn't really mind anymore. The water was icy cold. We had even more respect for those brave enough to swim in the pools or even jump from the bridge.