Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers
The drive from Hokitika was pretty short, just under two hours. When we got there, we went for a short glacier walk. And, as usual, it was raining. The kids didn’t want to get out of the camper, and honestly, neither did I. Emma’s reason for not wanting to go was that she already saw many glaciers in her lifetime and was not really impressed anymore 🤦♂️. Mylène decided to go anyway because it’s only like a 30-minute walk. She sent me a photo of the view and it looked pretty good, so I dragged myself out to join her.
By the time I got there though, the fog had rolled in thick. Couldn’t see shit! Typical.
So we kept going to Fox Glacier, where we’d spend two nights. When we got there, we went to check out another hike to see that glacier. When we got to the viewpoint, guess what? Couldn’t see shit!
The campground was beautiful, right next to some massive mountains that, of course, we couldn’t see because of the fog. But they had a hot tub, so we hopped in. While in there, it actually started hailing and we all went out in the hail to cool down a bit. After half an hour of soaking, the rain stopped, the clouds lifted, and this perfect rainbow appeared. Not bad timing.
The next morning we headed to Lake Matheson, famous for its mirror-like mountain reflections. It did not disappoint. Big bonus: the actual walk to the viewpoint is like stepping into a fairytale, with mossy forest, twisted trees, and everything dripping green. Pure magic.
Storm, Landslides, and the Great Detour
The following day, a big wind and rainstorm was announced for the South Island. The forecast said it would hit hard, but luckily the West Coast was supposed to get off easy. So we aimed for Haast, our last stop before Wanaka, only a two-hour drive away.
Except… not so much.
Turns out the storm caused three major landslides on the Haast Pass, the only road to Wanaka. It’s Friday, and the update says we’ll know more Saturday around noon. So we wait. Noon comes, and now it says “update coming later this afternoon.” Classic. I head to the visitor centre while the kids play at the playground, and there’s a new sign: next update Sunday at 4 p.m.
That’s two full days of waiting around and still no clue if the road will reopen.
So we bail. We take the detour, which turns a two-hour drive into a twelve-hour one. Because of course it does.
The Longass Drive, Arthur’s Pass, and a Preview of Lake Tekapo
The upside? The detour goes through Arthur’s Pass, a place we’d skipped earlier but really wanted to see. So we split the drive: one night in Arthur’s Pass, then the rest the next day.
The road winds through some ridiculously scenic spots, with misty peaks, narrow bridges, and rivers that look fake. Later it passes by Lake Tekapo and Mount Cook National Park, both jaw-dropping. We’ll be coming back there later in the trip, but this little preview was unreal.
About an hour before arriving in Wanaka, Mylène checks Facebook out of curiosity to see the 4 p.m. Haast Pass update. Guess what? They’d just reopened it.
So yeah, twelve hours of driving for nothing. But honestly? The views were worth it. Not sure the kids would agree though.
Wanaka
Our first day in Wanaka was gorgeous. No rain for once, so we wanted to get out hiking. There are tons of trails around town, and Mylène had her eye on Roy’s Peak, a 16 km trail with 1,300 metres of elevation gain. Thankfully, it was closed for lambing season. I’m not saying I wasn’t up for it, but I wasn’t disappointed either.
Instead, we did the Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain Track, 7.5 km with 600 metres of elevation gain. Much more manageable for the kids (and probably better for my knees). The views were amazing all the way up, and at the top you get this 360-degree panorama of lakes, mountains, and Wanaka in the distance. Unreal.
After the hike, we ran a few errands. Grocery store, then Mitre 10, which is basically Rona but somehow more exciting. I could spend hours in there.
The next day it poured, so we went to an indoor spot called Puzzling World. It’s a mix of optical illusion rooms, tilted houses, and weird brain-bending stuff. The tilted room felt like the one at the Science and Tech museum in Ottawa, just to give you an idea. Super fun. The main attraction though is the giant outdoor maze. It’s on two levels and you have to find each corner before finding the exit. It took us nearly an hour and we were laughing the whole time.
When we got back to the campground, it started snowing. Within an hour, the ground was completely white. Apparently, Wanaka barely gets any snow at all in winter, and now, in spring, it decides to dump some while we’re there. At least it made the mountains look amazing.
So we’re off to Milford Sound. The road’s been closed since last Thursday’s storm but just reopened, so fingers crossed it stays that way and we don’t end up stuck out there.
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