Over hill and dale 2.0 to meet Franz Josef

After breakfast, we took a one-hour drive to the Franz Josef village to embark on the hike to Roberts Point.

Upon arriving in the village, we first parked Jason to get an initial impression, take a leisurely stroll, and have a coffee. We still have the whole day ahead of us and it looks like the weather is gradually clearing up and the sun is coming out more and more 🗻

We packed Jason up again in the right parking spot and set off for the hike. According to Rother, the trail should initially lead us through a small bush forest to the actual starting point and hiking parking lot. But after a few meters, we turned back because we had to change the camera's memory card 😂 Luckily, the forest was so beautiful that we remembered it. So back to Jason and on to the second attempt.

This time, we went deeper and deeper into the trail until we got lost several times because the paths were not clearly marked or ended abruptly.

So we decided to turn back again and go to the actual hiking parking lot 😂

Well, as they say, "All good things come in threes." When we arrived there, it became clear to us where the cars from the town were heading. So we chose the path to Roberts Point, which, according to Rother, should lead us towards Franz Josef in 4:15 hours.

The trail started quite leisurely and wide, and after the first suspension bridge, I thought that the trail seemed to be the right one. But where are all the people from the parking lot? Gradually, the trail became steeper and rockier, and I started to wonder if the Chinese people we saw at the parking lot were also going the same way...

Over truly rough terrain 2.0 or "Extreme", lots of sweat, waterfalls, and eternal suspension bridges (really endless, wobbly, and high... brrr), we finally arrived at Roberts Point. A viewing platform over Franz Josef that made us forget all the effort we put in. Even though part of the view was obscured by the clouds, it was still really impressive 🏔

By that point, it was clear to me that the trail is not for everyone who wants to reach the nearest accessible viewpoint of Franz Josef. 😅 Furthermore, there were signs at the beginning that said 5 hours, 12.5 km, which already indicated that the trail is uphill and not easy. But well - the hike was definitely cool and adventurous with scrambling.

Exhausted from the hike, we returned to the village to spend the night here because we felt quite comfortable - it had a bit of a ski resort vibe ☺️

We already had a campsite in mind that should be located directly in the village and cost $30 due to renovations. The place was quite calm and the check-in was really easy through a self-service where we just had to fill out a form, write down the license plate, and put the money in an envelope into a box.

After a warm shower and a gourmet camping-style meal, we went for a beer during happy hour.

Thursday morning greeted us with blue skies and a view of the snow-white peaks of the glaciers. In a hurry, we decided to take the leisurely path to Franz Josef again to take advantage of the current view. The parking lot was still quite empty, so we walked the 1 1/2 hour loop to have a complete view of the glacial tongue under almost perfect conditions. On the way to the endpoint, there were small signs showing how far the glacier had extended in recent years or decades and how population, CO2 concentration, and geothermal activity had increased at the same time - you can see it here live. It's really impressive, but also somehow sad to see how quickly the glacier is melting here and how far the glacier used to reach. The day before, we could already see a lot and also the masses of water coming from the glacier, but it was even more evident on that day. At that time, the rangers were still walking around and maintaining order or telling other stories about the glacier, etc.

After a lot of amazement ☺️🏔, countless photos, and joyful faces, we went to the Wildlife Center to see two of the rarest kiwis. Currently, there are only about 500 individuals of this species left in New Zealand. Across all species, there are a maximum of 15,000 left.

The two kiwis in the center are only 2 1/2 months old, and the day is reversed here so that we can actively see them, as they normally sleep during the day and are nocturnal. After a few minutes in the dark, we were able to observe the two and stayed a little longer to watch them. After 4.5 weeks, we couldn't leave without seeing a kiwi 😂

The kiwi rangers here bring the eggs to the breeding farms where the little ones are raised, and once they are old enough, they are released back into the wild. The little ones can't really defend themselves... they can't fly and they don't scratch, bite, or anything like that. Weasels, dogs, cats, and possums are their biggest enemies, which is why in many areas, dogs, for example, are not allowed to be walked without a leash or cats are not allowed outside. Now we also know why there were so many weasel traps in Abel Tasman National Park 🤓 So we can't keep a kiwi at home with our two chaos makers...

If we were to emigrate, I would become a part-time kiwi ranger and campground operator with a sheep farm 🐑

Yesterday, we continued our journey towards Queenstown (over 300km) with an overnight stop in Wanaka, where there is said to be a beautiful lake and a cozy town. We also stopped at Lake Matheson, which is one of the most photographed lakes because the alpine panorama is reflected when there is no wind.

Although we didn't have calm weather, it was still worth the little walk for several motifs 😎🤩

The route took us through Mount Aspiring National Park, which made us stop, marvel, and take photos more than once... now we understand why the distances always seem longer than they are said to be. But see for yourself 😉

In the end, we stopped at Lake Wanaka, rather at the beginning before the town came, at a wonderful DOC campground with a wonderful view, sunset, and dreamy photos 😍 Thomas even dared to take a plunge into the cold water again, and next to us, a large family (probably from Spain) set up their camp 😂 A relaxed ending to another eventful day!