Little Adventures on Two Wheels: Haast to Franz Josef

25/04/08: 69km, climb: 529m, Haast - Paringa Lake DOC

26/04/08: 37km, Paringa Lake - Jacobs River

27/04/08: 35km, Jacobs River - Fox Glacier
28/04/08: 25km (+20km), climb: 668m, Fox Glacier - Franz Josef

We set off around 2pm from Haast after waiting for the shop to open. It turned out to be a much better shop than the "supermarket" we had looked at the day before. We even found a led lamp that will revolutionise our camping lifestyle. We had previously only had one inadequate head torch and a bike light to provide illumination in the evenings, which meant we ended up sleeping from 6:30pm when it gets dark until 8am when it gets light and warm again, life has been tough.

We arrived at Lake Paringa just as it was getting dark. It was a nice cycle up the coast, not always by the sea but through jungly forest when not. In the morning it was beautiful waking up by the shore of the jungle clad lake. We could even pretend we were on our own if we did not look behind us at the sea of campervans. We had a late start and only made it as far as Jacobs River 37km further. We passed a deserted motel type complex with a camp site, the sun was shining, we felt like stopping, so we did. It turned out a great spot to spend the night because we had the place to ourselves, including the nice amenities. We sat in the cosy kitchen enjoying the heater and TV and after watching the New Zealand news we did not feel so bad about not much stuff happening in our lifes as not much seems to happen here countrywide.

We set the alarm for 7:00am determined to get on the road by 9:00am for a change. The next morning, 9:04am, we had just finished our cup of coffee/tea, and were outside loading the bags onto the bikes when it started raining. Then it took us 20 minutes to fish out our waterproofs and make ourselves watertight and mentally prepared. It was a drizzly morning cycling to Fox Glacier (the town not actually the Glacier, these people are stupid) and we checked into a backpackers. Nice to have a roof over our head, especially as it did not look like the weather was getting any better.

In the morning it was still raining but luckily we had gained sponsorship from the local supermarket to provide us with the latest in waterproof footware. "On the spot" we love them, cheap prices, good quality and ok pies, and it is only because of them that we still set off to go to visit Fox Glacier (the Glacier). It was a short 5km cycle to get there and thankfully it had stopped raining by the time we did. The Glacier was very nice (I do not know if nice is the right word to actually describe a glacier, but it was definitely impressive). Apparently you get good views to Mount Cook, we did not as it was cloudy. It was worth the trip anyway as it cleared up a little by the time we left and we headed out of there just as all the big tourist buses arrived.

We picked up our luggage from the backpackers and cycled the 23 hilly kilometers to Franz Josef. It was a nice cycle over three hills. The weather was much better and we checked into a campsite, which is located at the edge of the jungle and the tent sites are set in the jungle. We put up the tent and then went to visit our second Glacier for the day, Franz Josef. Named after the great Austrian Emperor, or the Austrian Emperor, Franz Josef. It started raining again that evening and during the night it was pouring. We managed to squeeze a dip in the spa and a wee sweat in the sauna too that day. By morning there was thunder and lighning and we decided not to move and did not for the whole day apart from a trip to the supermarket so we could have some cookies to eat while lying in the tent listening to it bravely fighting back buckets of water.