Fox Glacier, Franz Josef Glacier, Gillespie Beach and on to Punakaiki

We spent the next day, which was absolutely baking hot in contrast to the last few days of showery weather exploring the various glaciers on the western edge of Mount Cook. After getting a lift with a delightful Swiss lady called Elizabeth and meeting Jaryn at the Fox Glacier the most striking thing is just how much these glaciers have retreated in the recent years. Well placed signs along the entrance road show where the glacier used to be in 1700, 1900 etc and then the huge distance away the glaciers are now. It seems they have retreated dramatically since some of the photographs for the postcards on sale at the DOC office were taken which was equally striking. It is probably not an exaggeration to say the next generation will be looking at an entirely bare valley wondering what all the fuss was about....sad times. :(

We found a fabulous (and I mean amazingly fabulous) free campsite near a beach called Gillespies Beach where you can walk up from the sea and look over the rocks to see the incredible mountain range behind. It was a stunning sunset and an honour to be able to see this place in its full glory.

We parted company with our friend Karen in Fox Glacier village and headed down the beautiful rugged west coast road towards Greymouth. It kind if reminded me of Workington, a bit of a dead end town but with amenity at least which we had not seen for many hundreds of kilometres now!

We found a great, albeit qwerky campsite on the way to Punakaiki and pitched our tents and went to see the Pancake Rocks. Have to admit although these were very cool, I was kind of having geology overload now from the last few days so perhaps their impact was slightly lost on me. They were a nice way to spend an evening tho and it has only today really dawned on me that I only have 8 days until I leave New Zealand and this epic trip is over...but no time for getting down about that just yet!! :)