Next up on our itinerary - a 4-hour ride to the quaint town and Franz Josef, where we'd booked a helicopter ride and hike on a glacier! We woke up a bit sore from the previous day's hike, so the car ride was welcomed.
As usual, our journey took many turns and we stopped for a few walks and waterfalls. The second half was up the west coast of the country; though it was a bit cloudy, we found picturesque beaches laden with driftwood.
The day was full of roadside highlights, including a coffee break in Bruce Bay, where we got delicious flat whites from a truck outfitted with high-end espresso equipment. The second was a lunch stop based on something Katie had read on TripAdvisor. The noted "establishment" (a loose term based on its appearance) was Curly Tree Whitebait Company, a shack set off the highway and accessed via dirt and gravel road. Tourists had raved about it, so we went in expecting delicious fish sandwiches. While we got our sandwiches, they were made up of 15-20 whitebait - long, skinny fish with little blue eyes. Our host mixed them with egg and put two patties on the griddle, served them face-up (literally) on a piece of buttered toast, and we tested the limits of our culinary exploration. While the taste was good, we're not sure we can recommend in good conscience.
Curly Tree Whitebait Company
The next day brought somewhat cloudy skies, but we were hopeful that it would burn off in the morning sun. Our heli-hike was scheduled for 11:40, and at check-in we were informed that the flight was on hold due to low cloud cover; additionally, no flights had gone out that morning. We waited for another hour until we received the official word that our flight had been canceled for the day :( While we were disappointed, we quickly rescheduled for the following day to give ourselves another shot.
We decided to use the remainder of the afternoon to hike to the base of Franz Josef Glacier; if we couldn't see it from the air, we'd at least see it from the ground. The glacier is in a period of retreat, so we couldn't get especially close lest we get hit with falling ice boulders (seriously). This marks a stark contrast to what tourists have done for over a century, hiking up the glacier from its base. Sadly, it's been retreating at such a rapid rate that it's no longer possible; had we stood in the photo below in 2008, the glacier would have been underneath us.
Franz Josef Glacier from the valley walk
It was eye-opening to learn about changes to the glacier, particularly over the past 9 years. The Franz Josef website has an incredible time-lapse video showing the retreat, and scientists estimate that it will retreat 5km by the year 2100. If you're interested, we would highly recommend the documentary Chasing Ice, which we watched that evening back at the hotel. Following our hike, we treated ourselves to amazing massages at the Te Waonio Forest Retreat, which soothed our aching muscles and prepared us for our adventure the next day.
That's right, the heli-hike happened! The skies shone blue and we got up in the air mid-morning, when our trusty helicopter pilot delivered us to a tiny (and frighteningly icy) landing pad atop the glacier. We spent the next 3 hours frolicking around behind our guide, Ross, as he cut steps through the ice and talked about glacier formation, movement, and climate change. Fun Fact: Franz Josef is the steepest and one of the fastest-moving glaciers in the world, moving up to 5 meters per day.
There are SO MANY amazing photos from this glacier, we could fill an entire book from this tour. Here's a few, more on our Photos page:
After our delivery back to town, we got on the road for one of our final stops in New Zealand, Arthur's Pass. But not before a pitstop in adorable Hokitika - I mean, look at this sign, right?
Town name made from driftwood, Hokitika