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Awoke with a scratchy, sore throat which pitched me into a moment of panic, thinking I might be getting sick. Have also been experiencing some sort of mild upper respiratory ailment the last couple of days, manifested by a shallow, dry cough. Upon further review, however, I think perhaps I'm having a mild allergic reaction to all the pollen in the air. No doubt it's a strain of pollen my body has not encountered before. And let me tell ya, the air is thick with plant fragrance everywhere i go. It is truly still Springtime in NZ.
Left the coastal town of Oamaru at 7:15 AM, just 15 minutes past my target.
My prediction that the 6-hour drive would take me 12 hours was almost precisely on the money. I arrived at the journey's end in the remote West Coast hamlet of Franz Josef at 6:55 PM. I would have arrived sooner but, of course, I had to stop and marvel at and take photos of every damn spectacle of natural beauty that passed thru my field of view. It was almost like work.
I had specific locations in mind that I had to hit in a timely fashion, before a certain deadline and, one hoped, in the correct light. There was one particular field of lupines that I passed by in the rain on Thursday which I returned to.
I also wanted to get to both the Fox Glacier and the Franz Josef Glacier before it got too late. I managed only to get to the Fox Glacier and, even then, only walked halfway up the trail, as I needed to get to the town of Franz Josef before they rolled up the sidewalks for the night. The gas station there was already closed and the reception desk at my lodging shut down at 8 PM.
The drive was, as usual, almost mind-numbingly beautiful. After miles an miles of meadows and livestock, the land rose up into foothills dotted with rivers and lakes.
Eventually I arrived in Wanaka where I inhaled a lamb and mint meat pie freshly baked and offered in the fast food section of a petrol station! Delicious!
Why did meat pies never catch on in the US? Is it all Mrs. Lovett's fault?
Shite. I love 'em! (Perhaps that's where I'll make my final fortune!)
From Wanaka I made my winding way thru Mt. Aspiring National Park to Haast and the wild west coast. My first stop was at Ship Creek Beach where I was amazed at the amount of drift wood /drift trees littering the shore. Huge trunks and other oversized chunks of lumber were strewn about like some arboreal massacre.
The next thing I was amazed at was the ferocious swarms of black sand flies that tried to strip by body right down to the bones. Ouch! Like little pirahna flies, they were relentless and their bites hurt like mad. Now I know why no one is out lounging on the beach!
I proceeded north to my evening's lodging and was a bit disappointed that much of the coast highway was situated inland just enough for me not to have a view of the Tasman Sea. There were one or two viable spots but overall it was very much unlike sections of California 1 that I am used to. On the plus side, just off to my right, the Southern Alps rose up to snow-capped peaks. I had just enough time for a quick visit to Fox Glacier before settling in for the night.
I may try to visit the Franz Josef Glacier in the AM, if the weather cooperates.
It was clear, beautiful, warm and sunny day all day today even when I was cutting thru the mountain passes. The forecast does not appear so optimistic.
We are now expecting periods of significant rain for the next 3-4 days.
BUT... "they" were wrong before and I'll be pleased if they are wrong again.
In other news, as I drive these many roads, I read all sorts of signs that puzzle and/or delight me. For instance, when I passed the directional sign for the small town of POUTIA I instantly thought, "That's where they formed a Utopian Community for Dyslexics." Yeah... I'm easily amused ...and it only gets worse.
My trusty iPod has also been keeping me entertained for lo, these many miles.
Sometimes a song will pop into my ears at just the right time, in synchronicity with the emotion of the moment or the landscape spread out before me. This has led me to begin naming each daily blog with a title or lyric snippet or some variation/bastardization thereof. Some are, I'll admit, quite obscure.
OK. That's enough patter for now. Tomorrow I'm heading to... I dunno.
Was gonna cross back over to the other side of the island to Christchurch but am rethinking that. Perhaps I only need to visit one large city on this trip.
I fly out of the capital, Wellington, next week so maybe that will suffice.
I might have a better plan if i could do some internet research but, alas, that will have to wait. Guess I'm really gonna wing it for a while.
Again, weather will be a factor. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, here are some photos from today's marathon drive.
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