New Zealand 2007 

 

                                    Day Sixteen Greymouth March 29

                                               

                                            Not so great weather finally caught us - The heli-hike was cancelled due to low clouds

                                            and chance of rain.  However, a short day hike to the glacier base was available.  

 

                                            A ten minute hike from the main parking lot provides a good viewing point of the glacier

                                            and the cave.  The cave is actually the exit point for the underground river.  Almost all

                                            glaciers melt below their mass and create an internal river.  Exiting river water is very

                                            whitish with additional green color downstream.  Blue colors could be seen throughout

                                            the actual glacier.

 

                                            Access to the glacier river mouth was available - provided one would cross over a series

                                            of corded fences.  The first series says "Danger" and the next set closer to the glacier says

                                            "Extreme Danger".  Not sure is the next set says "Really, Really Dangerous".

 

                                            After departing glacier country, we continued North into "jade country".  The West coast has

                                            has a gold rush history; however, jade is still being mined and manufactured.  We stopped at 

                                            the town of Hokitika to view some jade shops.  The town itself is an old port with a history of 

                                            missing or beached ships.  Sand on the beach is black volcanic soil and driftwood was actually

                                            drift-trees.  A twist on the usual one lane bridges is that a few outside the town shared

                                            the road with railroad tracks.  We're very sure who would have the right-of-way.

 

                                            Final destination was Greymouth - largest of the few towns on the West Coast.  

 

                                                                                            Last Updated 2007 March email@ellerberoad.com