Closing the circle

 Today we ended back where we started in New Zealand. But first things first.

These statues were outside our hotel

The helicopter flight that we had scheduled yesterday and was canceled, got moved to this morning 

We got to the helicopter at about 9:30am. The clouds were starting to move in again, but they decided they still had enough good weather for the flight

As we rose into the air and started heading for the further of the two glaciers we were flying over, we passed green fields 

And the glacier fed rivers

The first glacier we headed to was fox glacier 

In places the glaciers were hundreds of feet deep. This is the tongue of the Fox Glacier 

The weather was good enough that we were able to land and get out.

We both took a number of pictures from there

We then climbed back into the helicopter and headed over to the Franz Josef Glacier. You can see how much water is coming off these glaciers 

People actually hike these places. 

This is the Franz Josef Glacier. New Zealand has over 3,000 glaciers. These are moving roughly a foot a day, but they are also melting faster than they are moving, so they are actually receding 

These places have snow year around

Though not as tall as some of the Rocky Mountains, they are ever bit as rugged.

After a great half an hour or so flight, we are coming into a landing to continue our tour with the main tour group

K. K. is taking a minute to admire the vegetation 

The first part of the day’s travel we were still on the west coast along the Tasmin Sea

Then we started to climb through the switch back roads

We had a comfort stop at the town of Hurry Hurry

They had this fun mosaic maze area that was built with tiles the school kids did

They also had a replica of the first plane to make the crossing from Australia to New Zealand

It was complete in 1932. The same year my mom as born.

We then head through the beechwood forests as we climbed the mountains

This area was gold country and had a gold rush in the latter 1800’s. Gold is still mined there today

The water comes very close to the road at times and can raise as much as 3 feet in an hour during the downpours 

Here is where we stopped for our lunch break

It was a town of about  fifteen thousand (that included the surrounding mines and farms). It sat right on the sea shore with the mountain close by

We had a pizza, but every two slices were fixed differently 

Also possum fur is used for blanket and in clothing

One store was dedicated to stuff made with the fur

We pasted another tiny town seemed to be peopled by folks that reused and saved almost everything

They had all kinds of displays out

Including the town hotel, which looked a bit like a borders stash complete with golem on the roof 

A wizard with a dragon

That wound his way to the roof 

We then headed to the train station to catch the train to take us back to Christchurch 

They had some interesting art piece in the waiting area

Including this stage coach painting

The train came and picked us up or the route from west to east 

K. K. Watched out the window as we were pulling away

He tail took us past a couple of big rivers

Though mountain passes

Past grazing fields 

By sheer drop offs 

And more glacier filled rivers

Another view as we came out of one of the many long tunnels

As we dropped down the dairy farms increased

It was passed sunset when we finally arrived back at Christchurch. We are staying at the same hotel tonight that we started out from.

But the tour is not over, we start our way to the north Island tomorrow.