A RAIN FORESTIE (Made that word up) KINDA DAY IN FRANZ JOSEF:

 A RAIN FORESTIE (Made that word up)  KINDA DAY IN FRANZ JOSEF:



 Saw this during our local grocery store stop, looked interesting and good.

Local Māori called the area Waiau, which means swirling waters.[5] In the 1860s Sir Julius von Haast named the Franz Josef Glacier  in honor of the Emperor of Austria. The town was then named after the glacier. 

This I would describe as a funky little town which is the gateway to the glaciers in this area. Filled with shops, campgrounds, hotels, Heli operations etc etc .  


This morn the weather was not great and we were told where the group was going was gonna be muddy and rocky. We opted to find some local trails just outside of the city. 

Yes, the rain forest lived up to its name.  RAIN RAIN RAIN. 

 We very much enjoyed our hike in the wet rain forest. 

 

 

We stopped at a small local grocery store and bought some local treats. 

Then a group lunch which was nice and more than ample. There was women's rugby on and that was nice to watch. 



After lunch we made a stop at the Wildlife Center. This center is special as here one can see the rarest species of kiwi. This is the Rowi and they can be observed in a nocturnal viewing area. 



What surprised us was the size. Previously on this trip we have seen very young kiwi, not full sized adults. They were much bigger, about the size of a rugby ball. 

The wildlife center also has a very nice Tuatara area where two can be observed. 

All viewing areas here are nice because there are no glass barriers. 

The glaciology exhibit is rather nice with some well done displays.

Back to the hotel with a doggie bag which will be our dinner, Ugh, it was a lot of food. We need some time to further organize and watch our laundry dry.



Tomorrow will be a long road trip to Queenstown and the final city on this trip.




TRANZALPINE RAIL TO ARTHURS PASS:

 TRANZALPINE RAIL TO ARTHURS PASS:

 

 

The TranzAlpine train operates between Christchurch, Arthurs Pass and Greymouth - from the east coast to the west coast of New Zealand's South Island. Our Journey was only to Arthurs Pass.

 

 
Traveling west crossing the Canterbury Plains, the train slowly ascends through scenic  gorges and river valleys of the Waimakariri River towards the Southern Alps to the alpine village of Arthurs Pass. 

 
We were met by our bus at Arthurs Pass and drove to Greymouth. This was a very scenic ride even though it was raining and the cloud ceiling was low. I still enjoyed seeing the lush rainforest, river and an occasional waterfall. It would have taken forever if we made a stop at any of them. If we ever do a return trip this will be a slow drive for sure.

 

 

 

In the town of Greymouth, we stopped at Monteith’s Brewing Company for lunch. They put out a very nice buffet of pub fare. I had their ginger beer and it was very good. 

 

 
Our next stop was at Hokitika. This is self described as a cool little town. Known for its drift wood,  gold, and Pounamu. Pounamu is also known as green stone or jade. It is carved into Maori symbols, each with a special meaning. I should also add there are also shops selling possum and wool items. 

 



From Hokitika we had a two hour drive to our lodging for the next two days. 

Here at the Te Waonui Forest Retreat, one finds themselves in the midst of a rain forest. Our balcony has a rain forest view. 

 

 

Tomorrow we will have time to explore the grounds for bird life.