Day 8 QUEENSTOWN TO FOX GLACIER

We start our day with a gourmet breakfast at the hotel.  Our riding partners are gathering one by one and we establish a “clutch out” at 8:30 AM.   Our route will wind us along the west coast of NZ.  This is a remote part of the country that has little traffic save for the tourists.  New Zealand has a labor problem especially during the summer season so a lot of the resort labor comes from South America on 6 months visa.  The kids make a good wage and return home with enough money to get a better start.  Our trip today will take us to the Bunge Jump and it was quite the show.  The good news is that at age 65 or older the jump is free.  Watching the first jumper, a young Japanese from a tour bus, convinced me that they could not have collected enough money to get me to take the plunge.   From there we climb up to NZ’s highest paved road, over 4000 ft.  The vistas were breathtaking and the road a series of switch backs.  I chose to go it alone on the backside as the VFR and I were bonded and needed some alone time.  I stopped at the bottom in front of an old hotel and general store where I met a couple on a MC tour and we exchanged notes.  There trip is a week shorter than ours but we covered much of the same ground.  The group caught up and we continued to Wanaka, a pristine town on the lake.  By now you need to know there are a lot of lakes and towns on them.  So I was more interested in the ride than sightseeing.  Our next stop was Makarua, a wide spot in the road with an outside covered patio.  Good quickie lunch and off again.  I must mention that the weather is in the low 60’s but this area is usually raining.  We arrive at Haast Village for gas and I lead the troops on a 57 K ride in the wrong direction.  Correcting this we proceed up the west coast with the ocean on our left.  Lots of great viewpoints and places to exercise the camera but I point the VFR north and take advantage of the remote roads to reach Fox Glacier, our destination for the night.  Rene our guide has picked up a young Japanese rider whose bike broke down 2 days ago.  He would be transported to Hokitika where a replacement bike will be delivered.  This is the spot where I will dump the VFR in exchange for a BMW.  This will be my 3^rd  bike on this trip so my experience factor is going way up.  Arriving at our Motel, the van picks us up and we travel to the Glacier to see a mass of ice that has been shrinking.  Back to the motel for dinner and a discussion of the next day.  Our two German riders are going on a Helicopter ride in the morning and will catch up with us in the morning.  Next stop Punakaiki.  Don’t ask how to pronounce it. 

 Fox Glacier

Neat old hotel on the route.

Poetry in motion.

Fox Glacier via flying bike.