Franz Josef Hike Day 5

Franz Josef

February 17, 2010

We spent yesterday covering a lot of kilometers moving north to south along the Tasman coast, crossing numerous glacial rivers emptying their crystal clear blue water into the gray (sediment) sea. No writing, but a good bit of photography. Am still searching for the ultimate cliché of a photograph.

We stopped briefly in the gold-rush town (most brothels per capita than anywhere else in the world we're told…then, not now) of Hokitika to satisfy those in the group who needed a shopping fix. Lots of 'greenstone' (Jade). Here the Backroads' leaders demonstrated their knowledge of their clientele by making our rendezvous point outside the public bathrooms. Good thinking!!

Then it was on to Hari Hari (Maori for to give and receive love), not Harihari (Maori for ambulance…go figure). A good hike from the road through more lush vegetation to the coast for lunch on the deserted beach. High tide made a river crossing inadvisable so instead of a loop we turned it into an out and back.

Back in the vans, we headed for Franz Josef, a pretty little town at the foot of the Franz Josef Glacier. We're here for two nights in a gorgeous lodge looking out from the valley floor at the surrounding peaks. One of the nearby glaciers is off to my right as I'm writing.

We've been advised daily about changeable weather conditions, but as of yet it's been nothing short of perfect. We've seen no rain and have had plenty of sunshine. Our leaders are all over us about sun screen. New Zealand is under the atmospheric ozone hole and the incidence of melanoma is higher here than, apparently, anywhere on earth.

There are a variety of activities today, but I'm taking the opportunity to do some photo editing and writing. One group has gone heli-hiking on the glacier and another one for a boat ride. Neither appealed to me as much as the idea of some quiet time.

Our group remains cohesive and wonderfully compatible. Dana, our youngest member, was delayed getting here form NYC by Snowmageddon 2 . She's a designer for Kate Spade in Manhattan and joins a British-born, UNC-educated (and fellow Chi Psi brother!) businessman and his wife, four lawyers (two married couples), a dentist, a banker, an Intel engineer and a retired oil man (gas, actually) and his wife. And me. About half of us sat around late last night in front of a fire and began exploring politics and the USA's role in the world. I rather wish the others had been around…the group split in two after dinner at a restaurant in Franz Josef and the earlier group had headed straight for bed. Not us, by God…. Nope. Who could turn down a good single malt sitting by a fire with interesting people?


Then there was the dawn….