Incredible 206km cycling from Greymouth to Franz Josef Glacier in two days, and the clouds have just lifted.
Eighty km first on Tuesday along the most amazing bike trail (West Coast Wilderness Trail) we’ve ever encountered, even on a tandem, And then a stonking 136km yesterday from Hokitika to Franz Josef Glacier…
Yes, look closely at the clouds, as well as the rich blue glacial meltwaters, and they really do reveal NZ Southern Alps mountain tops.
…arriving in the dark to find that we’d booked the same-named Sir Cedrics backpacker hostel in Fox Glacier 25km further on.
Thanks to friendly manager, however, roused from his TV watching after reception shut at eight, and a late cancellation, we were found a room, and are now ready to sally forth across a few more passes (what’s a few hundred feet climb between partners?) to a re-arranged booking in Fox.
As ever, let the pix speak for themselves. Click on individual thumbnails below to see them in full glory…. WHAT a tour.
Riding the West Coast Wilderness TrailFording a stream after the heavy rains. Wet feet but happy Daisy.Wheeling Daisy down the steepest of inclines on the Western Wilderness TrailBeware, beware. VERY steep hairpins ahead. And Rory Peck logo,….An inquisitive weka, flightless NZ bird that has come to terms with humans much more happily than the sensitive nocturnal kiwi, now in serious survival trouble.View down towards Hokitika from Cowboy’s Paradise.Narrowest of trails through the Western Wilderness rain forest, alongside old water race feeding gold diggings in the 19th century.Negotiating Daisy through a very narrow wooden bridge dogleg.Western Wilderness TrailDaisy’s first puncture, relatively quickly repaired as two clean holes in the tube resulting from heavy encounter with a stone.The road to the mountains.
2 responses to “Franz Josef the Glacier, and 206km in two days…”
re calling you John at the start of the trip. I suddenly remembered where the John came from – John Braine author of Room at the Top. I used to work in libraries.
I’m glad that the sun is now shining on you both.
I’d hoped to put a photo of myself, happy but wet, standing on the Franz Josef glacier, up here. But no luck with that.
That would have been good Jackie – on the Glacier in a moment of sunshine. Last time I was up there, t’was by chopper and brilliant white. Bit easier than cycling though perhaps less personally rewarding. Lots of Brains out there, all from the same family roots apparently, though fewer of us BraYnEs… All best.
Eighty km first on Tuesday along the most amazing bike trail (West Coast Wilderness Trail) we’ve ever encountered, even on a tandem, And then a stonking 136km yesterday from Hokitika to Franz Josef Glacier…
The PsychloTherapists 
2 responses to “Franz Josef the Glacier, and 206km in two days…”
re calling you John at the start of the trip. I suddenly remembered where the John came from – John Braine author of Room at the Top. I used to work in libraries.
I’m glad that the sun is now shining on you both.
I’d hoped to put a photo of myself, happy but wet, standing on the Franz Josef glacier, up here. But no luck with that.
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That would have been good Jackie – on the Glacier in a moment of sunshine. Last time I was up there, t’was by chopper and brilliant white. Bit easier than cycling though perhaps less personally rewarding. Lots of Brains out there, all from the same family roots apparently, though fewer of us BraYnEs… All best.
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