Tour Day 2 – Frans Josep – Haast – Queenstown
We boarded our coach at 7:45 a.m., bound for the Fox Glacier. We decided to skip the optional helicopter ride over Fox Glacier; it seemed a bit overpriced for what others later described as a very short trip — essentially up and down again.
The route wound its way through the mountains, offering spectacular views as the early sun spilled into the valley, painting the landscape in gold and shadow.
Our first stop was the Fox Glacier itself, visible from a distance but still an impressive sight. Interesting fact: the glacier descends about 2,600 metres over its ~13 km length and is fed by four alpine glaciers which receive massive snowfall.
From there we continued on, stopping at several scenic points along the way. Next came Thunder Creek Falls — a stunning waterfall that tumbles into a chalky-blue river. The milky colour of the water comes from fine rock silt created by the glacier’s slow grinding motion. Campervan New Zealand+2Waterfalls+2 Before boarding the coach again, we spotted a cluster of butterflies resting along a wooden rail — a small, unexpected moment of beauty.
Lunch was at the Haast Hard Antler Restaurant & Bar — an interesting place though the buffet offerings were, once again, an odd mix: sausages in red sauce with cheese, a sirloin pie that was quite good, stir-fry, French fries and seafood salad.
Afterward we traveled along the rugged coastline, where the Tasman Sea stretched endlessly toward the horizon. Stephen dipped his feet into the surf and declared it surprisingly not too cold, while I chose to stay dry and instead collected a few small stones and shells as keepsakes.
Our final stop before Queenstown was Wanaka, a charming lakeside town surrounded by mountains — the perfect preview to the beauty that awaited us in Queenstown. Fun fact: Lake Wanaka (on which the town sits) was carved by glacial action, and the town’s surroundings host New Zealand’s first sheepdog trials back in 1867. teara.govt.nz+1 For the 30-minute stop we opted to grab a beer at the local Ale House just across from the bus parking before re-boarding and making our way onto our hotel in Queenstown.
From there it was off to the hotel where we would have dinner tat turned out to be one of the best so far.
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