Day #14. Franz Joseph.

What an incredible day.  Another beautiful, sunny day in New Zealand.  I got motion sick in the bus this morning cuz the roads were sooooo curvy and Alan was driving like a maniac.  The police pulled our bus over and I thought it was due to his driving.  But the officer was just making sure the bus was up to date on regulations and stuff.  My stomach was a bit queazy, but gosh the views!  South island coastline… there's nothing like it (with the exception of Big Sur).

We stopped at a cute little town that had loads of NZ Mountain Jade stores.  I bought my sister a beautiful souvenir (you're welcome Melissa :)  I walked to a French cafe and bought my 1st cup of coffee since Auckland.  It was a "short white".  Coffees in NZ come in two sizes: short and long.  They also come in two styles: black and white.  Why can't Starbucks be that simple???  I've been going there for years and still can't remember the difference between a grande and…. what other sizes do they have?  Well, as usual, the coffee made me all jittery and my stomach was even more upside down in the bus.

The next stop was a spot called "Bushman's Centre", a very unique store/museum owned by a bearded man named Peter Salter.  Peter told us that his store is a place where "latte drinking, croissant eating, metrosexual Aucklanders don't exist… men are men and sheep are afraid."  The Bushman's Centre is a very politically incorrect but refreshingly different kind of store, specializing in the extermination of 'possums.  They sell everything 'possum - hats, pies, furry postcards, nipple warmers… you name it.  There is a stand in one corner with nasty-grams from all over the world, and the replies Peter wrote which are pretty hilarious.  I get that some people are offended about the killing of animals, but these are 'possums folks.  They are rampant!  And mostly road kill anyways.  You just have to enter the store with a sense of humor.  He has the most outrageous postcards, signs, and cartoons tacked to the walls.  I could not stop laughing at some of them.

Enjoyed lunch on the bus: a cheese sandwich and lots of sweet gherkins!  Finally around noon we arrived in Franz Joseph and unloaded at the Chateau Franz hostel, one of the coolest hostels I've been to yet.  Reminds me of a cabin-style ski lodge with vintage things all over the walls.  My UK girl Rachel (the only person I left from Auckland with who is still on the same bus) and I are sharing a 4-bed room.  There is a super sunny porch outside our window, and we have our own bathroom!  We are really stoked.

I did the 1/2 day hike up the Franz Joseph Glacier (not Fox Glacier, that's 20 minutes down the road).  The glacier guide told us that we were really lucky.  It rains 200 days out of the year here, he said.  For us the sky was nearly flawless.. so blue and only a few clouds.  We all put crampons on our really thick, rubber hiking boots and started up the ice.  I can't even begin to describe what a unique, amazing experience this was for me.  We were lead through walls of ice, down stairs that the guides made with their ice picks, holding rope railings and making our way along the glacier.  It was like being back in Mammoth for Paul's 30th!  (Better known as, Rich and Heather's 7-month anniversary trip :)  Winter wonderland in the middle of summer!!!  Don't worry, I took HEAPS of pictures to document this phenomenon.  It. was. magic.

When I got back to the hostel it was 7:30 pm.  I was famished!  And craving fresh things.  Like salad.  So I made a huge plate of cucumbers (finally!), avocado, tomatoes, onion, and tuna doused in my delicious Waiheke Island olive oil and lemon.  I also had a slice of freshly baked bread just purchased that afternoon.  Then Rachel and I sat in the top bunk of our hostel room for probably 2 hours and showed each other pictures from our travels, home, our friends, etc.  It's so sad that she's staying here one more night and I'm leaving :(  The last of the originals.

Looking forward to being in Wanaka tomorrow.  It's not a typical stop for most people traveling with Magic.  But I heard it is incredibly beautiful.  I'm looking forward to doing absolutely nothing tomorrow.  Except laundry.  Must do that.. I'm practically out of everything except for sundresses which are of absolutely no use here.

Plan:  Spending the afternoon/night in Wanaka tomorrow

Budget:  $103 guided glacier hike, $3.90 coffee, $5 powerade & bread, $21 hostel