Of Glaciers and Such

Tuesday, Jan 2

Circling up the scenic road leaving the valley of Queenstown behind us, we make our way to Wanaka. We are reluctant to leave our posh accommodations, but look forward to the next activity. Apparently local Kiwis complain about how crowded Queenstown is in the summer and opt to vacation at the lake in Wanaka. Turning down main street, we are not convinced that it is any less crowded than Queenstown. But then again there is a sign announcing the rodeo is today. Grabbing sandwiches from Subway, we drive back out of the town and to the scenic part. We pass the lake which is swarming with campers hoping to catch the sun and a boat ride. As the bustle of summer fades slowly behind us, we come to open fields surrounded by swaths of mountains. At one point we have to stop the car to let meandering cows cross. The road turns to gravel and "ford" signs appear warning us of river crossings. We come to a field flanked by a river. A swinging bridge with 2 person maximum leads to fields of undulating grasses. A perfect place to eat our sandwiches.

Energized, we drive the final distance to the trailhead of Mt. Aspiring. The four hour roudtrip hike begins with great views of glaciers rising above the trail. Weaving in and out of the forest, following along the rushing river, up, up we rise to the snow-capped mountain. We share the path with the famous NZ Kea birds and we are careful not to let them get too close because we know they will destroy (or steal) any small item they can capture.

At the summit, the glacier air hits us. We rest and take in the glorious view. White snow carpeting the ground, river rushing below us, and waterfalls of melting glaciers rushing down the opposite mountain. As we watch, a huge chunk of snow breaks off and we watch it crash over the rocks and into the river.