Took a shuttle from Queenstown to Wanaka...described as Queenstown "years ago". Nice town, set right on a lake, and the gateway to Mt Aspiring National Park. Much more our speed! Reminded me a great deal of Bend, OR. The weather is much drier and warmer. The morning we arrived we hiked up Mt Iron...and took the picture above. We stayed at a great little B&B run by an older couple. It really felt like we were staying with family friends. They invited us to have drinks with them in the evening and cooked us huge breakfasts! We slept like logs!
The next morning we hopped in our rented AWD van and headed to Rob Roy Glacier. The road going in and out is gravel and definitely "washboard" with fords to cross, so it was difficult and $$ to get transport. Reminded me of the Road to Hana on Maui...no rental agency wants you to take your car there. Perhaps they are scared you will get it stuck in a river...;) (not that I would ever do that!)
The hike in was about 4hrs roundtrip. We encountered some interesting "washouts". This is the sign for the next picture. We sure as heck were not going to stop under that rock! In fact we both ran across the trail....;)
It might be hard to see..but this rock with tree's growing out of it is being held up by about three tiny boulders underneath. Hmmm......
We thought it was raining as we got close to the glacier, only to find that the waterfalls were all blowing into the gorge.
Rob Roy Glacier....the rock walls are covered in waterfalls. Very dramatic.
On our way out we encountered a herd being moved into another field. We were about to cross the cattle stop when the bull made his presence known. He walked over to glare at us. Did he really think we were going to cross him? We did get to watch the dogs heard the cows once the bull got out of our way. The momma cows charged the dogs, very protective of their calves. Good moms! On to the daddy of all glaciers....Franz Josef. We will take a guided walk on the glacier....
Took a shuttle from Queenstown to Wanaka...described as Queenstown "years ago". Nice town, set right on a lake, and the gateway to Mt Aspiring National Park. Much more our speed! Reminded me a great deal of Bend, OR. The weather is much drier and warmer. The morning we arrived we hiked up Mt Iron...and took the picture above. We stayed at a great little B&B run by an older couple. It really felt like we were staying with family friends. They invited us to have drinks with them in the evening and cooked us huge breakfasts! We slept like logs!
The next morning we hopped in our rented AWD van and headed to Rob Roy Glacier. The road going in and out is gravel and definitely "washboard" with fords to cross, so it was difficult and $$ to get transport. Reminded me of the Road to Hana on Maui...no rental agency wants you to take your car there. Perhaps they are scared you will get it stuck in a river...;) (not that I would ever do that!)
The hike in was about 4hrs roundtrip. We encountered some interesting "washouts". This is the sign for the next picture. We sure as heck were not going to stop under that rock! In fact we both ran across the trail....;)
It might be hard to see..but this rock with tree's growing out of it is being held up by about three tiny boulders underneath. Hmmm......
We thought it was raining as we got close to the glacier, only to find that the waterfalls were all blowing into the gorge.
Rob Roy Glacier....the rock walls are covered in waterfalls. Very dramatic.
On our way out we encountered a herd being moved into another field. We were about to cross the cattle stop when the bull made his presence known. He walked over to glare at us. Did he really think we were going to cross him? We did get to watch the dogs heard the cows once the bull got out of our way. The momma cows charged the dogs, very protective of their calves. Good moms! On to the daddy of all glaciers....Franz Josef. We will take a guided walk on the glacier....
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