Franz Josef to Queenstown

Heli Disappointing

Since our check-in time for the helihike was 8:15 am, we packed up early and drove to breakfast at Monsoon, across the street from Glacier Guides. Monsoon looks like a restaurant-bar from outside, but it's also the restaurant for Rainforest Retreat, so it's quite large inside and had a breakfast buffet set up as a breakfast option. We opted for the breakfast menu rather than buffet, because the buffet looked like boring continental breakfast stuff (fruit, cereals, yogurts, toast).

We were right on time for the 8:15 check-in and a glance upward showed zero clouds! As we approached, a guide was on the steps to give us the bad news. Winds were too extreme to fly so they were monitoring conditions but our tour might be cancelled. We hung out in the lobby with about two dozen other hopeful helihikers for a while. Everyone seemed a bit down, but maybe I was projecting, or maybe they just hadn't had their coffee yet.

Around 8:30 it was confirmed: our booking was cancelled. As a matter of fact, they were grounded and making the official call to cancel most of the flights for the day. A big storm was heading in so winds were projected to only get worse.

We got a full refund and got to have a relaxed drive to Queenstown.

Driving to Queenstown

We left Franz Josef at 9 and quickly got stopped in a construction zone for about 30 minutes. They let people walk onto the bridge they were working on to get photos of the Fox Glacier.

Fox Glacier

The traffic stop wasn't that bad. We definitely weren't pressed for time. Plus, that's us, at the front of the line! We continued our journey on the Haast Pass Highway, which took 35 years to complete -- for one particular stretch of 4 miles, there were 60 creek and river crossings.

We stopped for lunch in Makarora and had surprisingly good food. I think the buffet set-up had us fooled; it tasted better than it looked.

That breaded fried thing is a "lasagna bite" -- we've seen them around but this was our first time trying it. 

Their business center

We overheard some locals talking; it seemed like a great little community. The gas station gift shop was the best we'd seen yet. We filled up with the last of our cash and took off again.

Yes, deer.

Brief photo stop at the Crown Range Summit, NZ's highest sealed road, 1076 m above sea level. This is the first point at which we spotted Queenstown. That's it there, near the top of Mike's left ear. 

Queenstown in the distance, on the shores of the lake.

Queenstown

At 3:45, we checked into the Rydges and just put our bags down.

Then we went up to the 6th floor bar for our "welcome drinks."

I watched the boats

I found the shark-shaped submersible jetboat thing fascinating.

And then it was time to hit the town and get our errands done. We went to the market to get breakfast and lunch for tomorrow, and we found an ATM.

TSS Earnslaw, a steamship built in 1812

Mike wanted me to mention that today was roadkill day. We saw more roadkill today than the other days added together. But I didn't get any photos of it, so you are meant to trust me. Here's a photo of a possum in a gift shop.

Mike and a moa

I like pedestrian streets. We had dinner on this street.

Then it was time for dinner. Neither of us were super hungry, so we just had a couple small things at The Ballarat, which is huge inside and decorated like an 1800s trading house.

Wings and tomato soup

Cheese board

And now it's time for bed. We have to be up super early tomorrow to catch our tour to Milford Sound.