This site last updated on  03-Oct-2003
The second leg of South Island began with a journey along Lake Wakatipu toward Queenstown. Again, the snow capped mountains with a lake as foreground made a beautiful picture, and we were again lucky with the weather. In Queenstown, we took a Jet Boat ride with Shotover Jet Boats. Bob and I are in the back row, Bob with his arm up on the right, and me on the extreme right. We then headed out of Queenstown for Wanake.
Next day, we headed over the mountains in the pouring rain, then snow, before arriving in the gloom and wet at Fox Glacier. We got some good views up the valley, and managed to make our way up to the snout, but the weather was very dismal. Bob had spotted a beauty spot called Lake Matheson on post cards, so when a sign pointed there, we paid a visit. We could see it's potential, but you can see the weather!

The next day dawned bright and sunny, so we headed back to Lake Matheson, and what a difference a day makes! We could see Mt. Cook, Fox Glacier from a distance. Lake Matheson in the sun, must be just about the most beautiful place in the most beautiful country. We then headed up to Franz Joseph Glacier, where we could see how the glacier had moved over the years. I walked up to the snout, and then had a good view down the valley that had been left. On the way to Westport, we visited some unusual rocks know as "Pancake Rocks", where there was also a Blow hole.
Our final day on the west coast began with a pleasant day, and a visit to Cape Foulweather. After a short walk, we then visited a seal colony, where we saw New Zealand Fur seals, and White Fronted Terns. The trip took us over a pass, where we got a good view down the valley to Nelson. We arrived in Nelson to glorious sunshine, and we walked along the beach, me bare foot again!
The final day on the South Island was spent in Blenheim, where we had planned to visit a Winery. Unfortunately, the weather was terrible, with torrential rain, and some strong winds, so we settled for a very early day in the motel, where I updated the web site, and took this photograph to prove how dismal the weather was! It was a sad end to a truly wonderful 2 weeks in the South Island, from where I take many happy memories.