Rainy days on the West Coast

We had heard before that the weather on the West Coast is often bad. So, unfortunately, it was also the case for us after the weather forecast.

Nevertheless, we left Wanaka in good weather and decided to take advantage of the sun once again. So, in the late afternoon, after hiking to Rob Roys Glacier, we took a break at the ice-blue and clear Blue Pools. We had read that you could jump from the suspension bridge into the deep and bitterly cold water. So, we spontaneously took courage and jumped the 5 meters down.
Being able to see all the way to the bottom of the river made the jump from above feel even higher. After climbing out of the icy water, we were greeted by a reception committee of 100 sandflies ready to suck our blood. Those pests!!

The next day started cloudy, and we were once again greeted by a flock of sandflies during breakfast. These bloodsuckers prefer damp areas, which is why the West Coast, with up to 8000 mm of rainfall per year, is their paradise. They also avoid sunlight, just like vampires.
Fortunately, we stayed dry until noon, and on our way to Franz Josef Glacier, we could admire two waterfalls and the Fox Glacier (from a distance).
However, in the evening, as expected, it started raining.
Since we had already skipped a close view of the Fox Glacier, we decided to take a short hike to get closer to the Franz Josef Glacier. But as expected, it was interesting but not particularly beautiful. At least we could see the glacier with our own eyes, as it continues to melt year after year.
Since there was nothing to do on this rainy day, we had booked an entry to an art museum in the morning, where we saw the rarest kiwi species, the Rowi. It wasn't really spectacular, but we were glad to finally see New Zealand's national animal after the Stewart Island defeat.

We spent the night in what is supposedly the smallest town in New Zealand, with only six residents, and the next morning we continued to Hokititka to spend the second rainy day planning further. We spent the third and final rainy day in Greymouth, after a trip to Hokitika Gorge, giving our now beautiful campervan new curtains. We are particularly proud of our bargain, as the curtains cost us a total of $8 (about €5). Before, our curtains were beige with tanks, fighter jets, and the inscription "Army Boy," which was not particularly worth seeing. Meret especially loved them. Based on a tip from a staff member at a hardware store, we checked out the two smaller local shops and hit the jackpot in both. But see for yourself in the picture! :)

With the new curtains, the weather immediately improved, but more on that in the next blog post about the sunny days on the West Coast, which fortunately are not over yet.