The long and winding road

We begin our road trip to the West Coast today
Swapped the hiking clothes with more comfortable traveling clothes (wearing a skirt today may have been a mistake- read on further )
Picked up the rental car  and we were off.

Is this the rental vehicle???

Chose the alternate route to Wanaka on the Crown Range road via Cardrona which reminded us of the Peruvian mountain roads - narrow, twisting and turning  but rewarded with spectacular views of the Remarkables and the Crown range

We drove straight through Wanaka with its hoards of tourists milling around the lakeside cafes and shops. Looks like a nice town to explore, another time
We did have a stop to enjoy the lookout over Lake Hawea which is separated from Lake Wanaka by a narrow isthmus - and yes it was cerulean!

The drive from there to Haast via Makarora had spectacular mountain vistas including a great view of Mt Aspiring. This area definitely needs more exploring....
It was a slow drive, accounting for the winding roads, very windy weather and roadworks around Haast Pass where there had been a considerable landslide
Followed the Haast River into Haast Village - a "blink and you'll miss it" settlement. Scrounged a coffee and sandwich for lunch with slim pickings on offer
At least we had now reached the West Coast. I was keen to venture down to Jackson Bay but time did not permit, so we headed north. The scenery was amazing- the Tasman Sea and the coastal scrub on one side of the road - rainforest on the other with distant glimpses of the Southern Alps.
We stopped at a couple of lookouts along the way. Even though it was gray and overcast with occasional drizzle, it was not too cold. We passed several lakes and trail heads - more beautiful spots to enjoy. There is just too much to see and do in NZ!!!! Note to self: Lake Moeraki and The Copland Track

The beaches were covered with smooth weathered river pebbles washed down by the numerous creeks and rivers from the Alps. At Bruce Bay , the beach had a collection of what I would call Story Stones - with messages written on them. Some tourists were impressed by this quirky form of artistic expression, others were appalled that the wilderness had been desecrated in this way. For me - well I didn't contribute to this body of work, (even though I wanted to, but alas no marker pen!), preferring to fossick and enjoy.

We arrived at Fox Glacier township late afternoon and checked into our modest cabin at the caravan park.
Lackluster dinner at the Hotel.... looking forward to getting on the ice tomorrow!