NZ 6 -Lauren (Glaciers + Hokitika)

We left Wanaka Sunday and headed west towards the coast. We weren’t sure how far we would get before dark. We stopped for a little walk at some blue pools that were gray because of heavy rains, which was a bit of a bummer. We kept driving and made it to Fox Glacier, where we did a night hike in the woods to see glow worms! Really hard to photograph, but Drew got a decent one. They are light little blue points of light dotting the trees along the path. You can’t see them unless you turn off your flashlights. Truly magical to be in a silent forest with twinkling blue starlight surrounding you. We all loved it, and it was a good end to a long driving day. We also came across a stoat, which Lois decided she’d like as a pet. Look it up for a photo—looks like some mix of a cat and a lemur. :)

Trying to stay ahead of the rain, we headed up the cost and stopped for three short walks along the way. Lake Matheson had beautiful reflecting ponds, Franz Josef had views of a receding glacier (it filled the valley 100 years ago!), and Hokitika Gorge was another lovely walk with water that should have been blue but was gray from the rain.

We stayed at a simple campground on the coast and made soup for dinner. Heading out soon to go a little further north before we head back to the East coast—only 3 more nights in the van!Læs mere