The lack of available fuel and the ensuing search for it (tense moments too) caused us to rethink our destination which was Grey Mouth -on the west coast and a five hour drive. Rather than rush we opted for a slower pace which allowed us some stops for views. The Big Fella let his bro' drive for a bit here.
Kiwis developed of list of 101 things natives must do before they die, and Arthurs Pass is on that list. With stunning vistas of the Southern Alps,the road bends and twists;the mountains always in view. We stopped at Castle Hill which I believe may have been part of the back drop for Lord of the Rings. It is a natural phenomenon and does look like the ruins of an old fortress. The summit is Arthurs Pass Village and has a few shops and a couple of cafes, But the main attraction are the Keas -native parrots-and we found a tree full of the eccentric critters. These big boys struck poses for us while chattering noisily the entire time. The books say they eat just about anything including the rubber on cars. After communing with the birds a bit, we were ready
for the rest of Arthurs Pass and the Otira viaduct.
Signage at the approach of the viaduct warns of a 16% grade and a requirement that all vehicles use low gears. No problem, but we decided to take a look first and it is (gulp) a formidable hill. The Big Fella eased the RV down the grade as the rest of us marveled at this feat of engineering. I was a bit nervous that The Fella may channel his inner Mario Andretti for this puppy but good sense prevailed and we made it safely down the mountain. Jacksons Retreat & Spa Holiday Park, provided a wonderful campsite where we were greeted by the resident Wekas. Remember Wekas are flightless bird that look like a cross between a chicken and a velociraptor. They hung out with us throughout our Miller Time and dinner hoping for a morsel. We'd call them camp robbers in the U.S.
Before breakfast an early morning hike took us to a waterfall. The morning drizzle turned into rain but this area is a rain forest and reminded us of the Hoh. Showered and breakfasted we said goodbye to the Wekas -who continued to hang around- and set off for Hokitika and the glaciers. Hokitika is known for greenstone or jade. The Maoris prized greenstone and protected their lodes to the death.. Turf were not uncommon. Hokitika also had a kiwi house which we took in. Lunch was a white bait patty which was worth tasting but not something that I would order again. Actually, I spit out the first bite and only managed to choke down about half of it. They say you must try it while here and I can honestly say it was disgusting. Like Dudley Do-Right Greg will eat what I don't and true to form he gobbled up what was left of my white bait patty.
Heading south from Hokitika we were trying to get a far south as possible but made a quick stop at Franz Joseph Glacier first. We took a short walke to see what we could of it and then were back again motoring along in the RV trying to figure out the next camp spot. Initially we thought the government site -with only twelve spots and it was a weekend- might work. Hah! It was stacked arm-pit-to-arm-pit with only the public boat launch left as a viable spot. Nope that won't work so the next locale was at least an hour down the road and it was dark. We arrived after 10. The only places available were private campgrounds and I said oh heck lets just park it in a spot and pay in the morning which is exactly what we did. It was a great night for star gazing and we did a bit before sleep sweet sleep.
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