Day 10
Travel distance: 273km
From: Hokitika - Greymouth - Fox Glacier
Our destination for the day was Fox Glacier which in theory would have been a relatively simple 157km drive.
So before setting off, we stocked up groceries at New World 'cos we anticipated there'd be no big supermarkets for the next 5 days until Wanaka. And for the first time on our trip, we had to top up our petrol at the BP.
But a simple drive it was not.
About 10 minutes after we headed southward, I heard a really unusual sound - a lot of friction and grinding. A sound that elicits a nail biting dread. So I stopped the car and checked the underside. True enough, there was a problem. There was a portion covering the engine underside that came out and was flapping against the ground when driving. It would clearly be problem so we called the closest Apex Car Rentals outlet in Greymouth on what to do so they advised us to head there. It was a good 40km away but on the bright side, if we headed any further south, the next outlet would be in Queenstown (484km away). So we made a U-turn and drove back north.
Road Tip 1
If you get into any road incidents, be it breakdowns or accidents, do not panic. Just call either your car rental company or the AA for assistance and they will advise accordingly.
Greymouth
Upon arrival at Apex Car Rentals, which was at the end of the TranzAlpine railway line, the chap manning the counter drove to a spot where he inspected our vehicle, tore out the underside and there, our car was good to go. We were half thinking whether to change the car but figured maybe this should be sufficient.
Ali's Eating & Drinking (Restaurant)
And since we were at Greymouth, we grabbed a well deserved bite at the top restaurant (according to TripAdvisor). It's a decent spot and one which gave some respite from the admin of the morning.
Taramakau Road-Rail Bridge (Place to Visit - Free)
We headed back south and crossed some locations for the 4th time. There was one that struck us so we thought we'd do a brief stop here. The distinctive feature is this is a single-lane bridge that support cars AND trains (gasp!) over the Taramakau River.
Fox Glacier
We finally arrived at 5.30PM after a long drive that included a windy stretch between Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. We checked into the Mt Cook View Motel (our experience here) and took a well deserved rest.
Fox Glacier Chalet Lookout Track (Place to Visit - Free)
While it was getting late, we decided to try to minimally view the Fox Glacier so we tried the Glacier View Road which led us a few kilometres deep in. Were we successful? Nope! There was not a sight of the glacier from the car park.
Matheson Cafe (Restaurant)
We met up with our friends whom we had crossed in Punakaiki previously. They had headed north to Blenheim so we synced our schedules to meet in Fox Glacier. Matheson Cafe was the spot and it was a really nice place for a meal. We got ourselves some mighty good steak for dinner and had some wine back in our motel before calling it a night.
Day 11
Fox Glacier Walk (Place to Visit - Free)
We set out today with the key objective of viewing Fox Glacier. Yesterday, we were unsuccessful. Today, we tried the other road flanking Fox River called the Glacier Access Road. The drive to the car park spoke a lot of how the glacier has retreated in the past years. The drive was initially through some forests and then it opened up to a wide area where a clearly man-made road sat in the middle of the river.
When we finally came to the car park where we could start our walk, the signboards indicated there was still a good 500 metres distance to walk to have an optimal view of the glacier. We actually had a good sight of it just a 100 metres from the car park. The best view was actually at the top of a slope.
You get a few hardcore joggers who'll whisk past you on the way up, even more so as there was a drizzle that intensified as we walked more. The view from the top is quite decent but I'll have to say that if time is a concern, the view from a short walk from the car park will suffice nicely.
Lake Matheson (Place to Visit - Free)
In the afternoon, we headed for another walk, this time at Lake Matheson. We joined the blokes we'd met the previous day. They had just gone on a heli-hike and were still pumped to go. The track there is mostly gravel and again, we took out the pram but for good reason as my daughter was taking her afternoon nap.
It's a nice place to walk around. The Jetty Viewpoint is a picturesque site where on a still day with no winds, there would be a reflection of the mountainous background. Today, there was a slight breeze but the experience probably paled no less as the scenery was wonderful.
Bigfoot Bar (Restaurant)
Travel distance: 273km
From: Hokitika - Greymouth - Fox Glacier
Our destination for the day was Fox Glacier which in theory would have been a relatively simple 157km drive.
So before setting off, we stocked up groceries at New World 'cos we anticipated there'd be no big supermarkets for the next 5 days until Wanaka. And for the first time on our trip, we had to top up our petrol at the BP.
But a simple drive it was not.
About 10 minutes after we headed southward, I heard a really unusual sound - a lot of friction and grinding. A sound that elicits a nail biting dread. So I stopped the car and checked the underside. True enough, there was a problem. There was a portion covering the engine underside that came out and was flapping against the ground when driving. It would clearly be problem so we called the closest Apex Car Rentals outlet in Greymouth on what to do so they advised us to head there. It was a good 40km away but on the bright side, if we headed any further south, the next outlet would be in Queenstown (484km away). So we made a U-turn and drove back north.
Road Tip 1
If you get into any road incidents, be it breakdowns or accidents, do not panic. Just call either your car rental company or the AA for assistance and they will advise accordingly.
Greymouth
Upon arrival at Apex Car Rentals, which was at the end of the TranzAlpine railway line, the chap manning the counter drove to a spot where he inspected our vehicle, tore out the underside and there, our car was good to go. We were half thinking whether to change the car but figured maybe this should be sufficient.
Ali's Eating & Drinking (Restaurant)
Taramakau Road-Rail Bridge (Place to Visit - Free)
We headed back south and crossed some locations for the 4th time. There was one that struck us so we thought we'd do a brief stop here. The distinctive feature is this is a single-lane bridge that support cars AND trains (gasp!) over the Taramakau River.
 |
| Taramakau Road-Rail Bridge, Greymouth |
Fox Glacier
We finally arrived at 5.30PM after a long drive that included a windy stretch between Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. We checked into the Mt Cook View Motel (our experience here) and took a well deserved rest.
 |
| Mt Cook View Motel, Fox Glacier |
Fox Glacier Chalet Lookout Track (Place to Visit - Free)
While it was getting late, we decided to try to minimally view the Fox Glacier so we tried the Glacier View Road which led us a few kilometres deep in. Were we successful? Nope! There was not a sight of the glacier from the car park.
 |
| No sign of the Fox Glacier |
Matheson Cafe (Restaurant)
We met up with our friends whom we had crossed in Punakaiki previously. They had headed north to Blenheim so we synced our schedules to meet in Fox Glacier. Matheson Cafe was the spot and it was a really nice place for a meal. We got ourselves some mighty good steak for dinner and had some wine back in our motel before calling it a night.
 |
| Friendly cows around the Matheson Cafe |
Day 11
Fox Glacier Walk (Place to Visit - Free)
We set out today with the key objective of viewing Fox Glacier. Yesterday, we were unsuccessful. Today, we tried the other road flanking Fox River called the Glacier Access Road. The drive to the car park spoke a lot of how the glacier has retreated in the past years. The drive was initially through some forests and then it opened up to a wide area where a clearly man-made road sat in the middle of the river.
 |
| A family shot before walking toward the Fox Glacier |
When we finally came to the car park where we could start our walk, the signboards indicated there was still a good 500 metres distance to walk to have an optimal view of the glacier. We actually had a good sight of it just a 100 metres from the car park. The best view was actually at the top of a slope.
 |
| Landslide at Fox Glacier |
You get a few hardcore joggers who'll whisk past you on the way up, even more so as there was a drizzle that intensified as we walked more. The view from the top is quite decent but I'll have to say that if time is a concern, the view from a short walk from the car park will suffice nicely.
|
| Fox Glacier |
Lake Matheson (Place to Visit - Free)
In the afternoon, we headed for another walk, this time at Lake Matheson. We joined the blokes we'd met the previous day. They had just gone on a heli-hike and were still pumped to go. The track there is mostly gravel and again, we took out the pram but for good reason as my daughter was taking her afternoon nap.
 |
| Lake Matheson |
It's a nice place to walk around. The Jetty Viewpoint is a picturesque site where on a still day with no winds, there would be a reflection of the mountainous background. Today, there was a slight breeze but the experience probably paled no less as the scenery was wonderful.
 |
| Lake Matheson |
We had dinner at the Bigfoot Bar & Restaurant located back in town. There's a huge white figure sitting right in front which gives the place its name. The food was average, though service was quite alright with an (over) friendly waitress helping us. We tried Tui Indian Pale Ale from the tap for the first time and found it pretty much to our liking.
 |
| Big Foot Bar & Restaurant, Fox Glacier |
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