TEARS AND GLACIERS –NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

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We left Hokitika and proceeded to Franz Josef , en route we passed by  Ross which was 27.2 km from Hokitika ,it was made famous in 1909 when New Zealand’s largest  gold nugget was mined there weighing  an impressive 2.8 kgs.
Our drive from here was through inland, passing many beautiful lakes before finally arriving at Franz Josef ,though we tried to doze, the scenery outside wouldn’t let us do so .
We saw a rugged coastline with deserted beaches, dense rain forest and glaciers with backdrop of the Southern Alps .Many of the trees lining the coast were heavily bent and angulated which gave an indication of the powerful prevailing westerly weather patterns.

Lake Mahinapua  just 10km south of Hokitika is a scenic reserve offering a freshwater dip on a hot day or bird watching opportunities,
The road headed inland occasionally, giving us an insight into the lifestyle of the coasters with small hamlets and townships. Some had local carvers operating out their studios as well as a small museum of Maori artefacts.
We finally reached Franz Josef a small town, at the entrance of the valley, it has a permanent population of approximately 330 residents and is situated 5 km from the glacier on State Highway 6 ,has a petrol station, small but busy heliport, numerous tourist accommodation options (with up to 2,000 people staying overnight during the main season) and a number of restaurants, hotels and shops.

Just south of the village, a sealed road lead from highway into the Franz Josef Glacier valley and to a car park. Several small walks start from  Valley Road and  car park, and it was also possible to comfortably cycle from Franz Josef township to the car park.

The first European description of one of the west coast glaciers (believed to be Franz Josef) was made in the log of the ship Mary Louisa in 1859. The glacier was later named after Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria by German explorer, Julius Von Haast in 1865.
The Māori name for the glacier is Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere ('The tears of Hine Hukatere'), arising from a local legend . Hine Hukatere loved climbing in the mountains and persuaded her lover, Wawe, to climb with her. Wawe was a less experienced climber than Hine Hukatere but loved to accompany her until an  avalanche swept Wawe from the peaks to his death. Hine Hukatere was broken-hearted and apparently her profuse tears flowed down the mountain and froze to form the glacier .
Name of the glacier was later officially altered to Franz Josef Glacier  It is a 12 km  long  temperate maritime glacier located in Westland Tai Putini Park .

 Together with the Fox Glacier 20 km to the south, and a third glacier, it descends from the Southern Alps to less than 300 metres above sea level.
The Franz Josef Glacier is approximately 7000 years old .The ecosystem around the glacier is extremely unique due to the combination of the ice meeting the Waiho River and the surrounding rain forest.

 Franz Josef is the steepest and fastest moving glacier in New Zealand. The steep form of the glacier creates the perfect conditions for ice flow. One impressive Franz Josef glacier fact is that this glacier has been recorded as moving up to 4 metres per day. As compared to the average glacier moving at around 50cm to 1 metre per day
Fed by a 20-square-kilometre large snowfield  at high altitude, it exhibits a cyclic pattern of advance and retreat, driven by differences between the volume of melting water at the foot of the glacier and volume of snowfall feeding the neve.

 The glacier advanced rapidly during Little Ice age, reaching a maximum in the early eighteenth century. Having retreated several kilometres between 1940s and 1980s, the glacier entered an advancing phase in 1984
A postage stamp was issued in 1946, depicting the view from St James Anglican Church, built in 1931, with a panoramic altar window to take advantage of its location. By 1954, the glacier had disappeared from view from the church, but it reappeared in 1997. This is due to the highly variable conditions on the snowfield, which take around 5–6 years before they result in changes in the terminus location.

The glacier was still advancing until 2008, but since then it has entered a very rapid phase of retreat. As of 2018 it is again rapidly advancing. As is the case for most other New Zealand glaciers which are mainly found on the eastern side of the Southern Alps, the shrinking process is attributed to global warming
Based on past variations, scientists expect that Franz Josef Glacier will retreat 5 km and lose 38% of its mass by 2100 in a mid-range scenario of warming.
The area surrounding the two glaciers is part of Te Wahipounamu,  a World Heritage Site park. The river emerging from the glacier terminal of Franz Josef is known as the Waiho River.

There are several ways to explore the glacier from independent walks to heli-hikes ,we had some people from our tour who wanted to do the helicopter rides
The best is probably Sentinel Rock which is 10 minutes from the car park or the Ka Roimate o Hine Hukatere walk which is a more energetic 40 minute walk that leads to the terminal of the glacier
We and the others who opted out of the heli tour proceeded to the snout of the receding Franz Josef glacier after the heli riders got out at the information/visitor centre .

At the starting point there was a board giving daily updates on the distance to be walked to have a close glance at the glacier

As we started walking we could see the glacier tempting us to come nearer ,the path though rugged was manageable as seniors also could be seen walking with agility along the path.We could see the melted water flowing from the gracier

I remembered our Tony saying that once upon a time the glacier was visible even from the restaurant of the hotel we would be staying for that night
Viewing the glacier pure white and glistening in the sun was a true pleasure and I wished I had gone on the heli ride

We went as far as we could go near the glacier and returned to the bus which took us to the Scenic hotel where we met the heli riders who couldn’t go for the ride due to bad weather conditions
 A further 27km of twisty, winding road leads one into the smaller community of Fox with the terminal face of its glacier just five kilometres from the township.
Best way to experience the glacier is to walk on them. Small group walks with experience guides and equipment provided can be booked in the town of Franz and offer half or full day trips up onto the glacier

 For those with a few more dollars to spare, a heli-hike offers two fantastic opportunities; see the sheer scales of the glacier from the skies but also get onto the glacier much higher up where the ice is much purer, chance to discover blue-ice caves and pristine ice formations
 Home of New Zealand’s highest skydive at 19,000ft, Franz Josef is also one of the most scenic places in the world to skydive as we soar down over the spectacular glacier with Mount Cook in the backdrop
After the brisk walk and a nice dinner we slept soundly and met our other friends over the breakfast table ,there we were surprised to hear that there was a fire alarm in the early hours which finally turned out to be a false one
Other places to see in that town were west coast wild life centre containing kiwi birds and hot springs and Kayaking on Lake Mapourika

HOKITIKA -TOWN OF GREEN STONE-NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

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We got down at Arthur’s pass and watched our train leave for its next destination .Arthur's Pass was previously called Camping Flat then Bealey Flats, it is a town in Southern Alps of South Island of New Zealand, located in the Selwyn district and is a popular base for exploring Arthur’s Pass National Park. The town and the pass are named after Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson (1841–1934). In 1929 the Arthur’s Pass National Park was created which is New Zealand's third National Park

Arthur's Pass town is about 5 km south of mountain pass with the same name. Its elevation is 740 metres above sea level and is surrounded by beech forest. The Bealey River runs through the township. 
There are several good walks from here, including the Devil's Punchbowl Falls, Bealey Valley and Avalanche Peak. 
The mischievous Kea (New Zealand mountain parrot) can be found here. About 48 cm long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wings and has a large, narrow, curved, grey-brown upper beak.

 The kea is the world's only alpine parrot. Its omnivorous diet includes carrion, but consists mainly of roots, leaves, berries, nectar, and insects. 
The kea nest in groups in burrows or crevices among roots of trees and are known for their intelligence and curiosity, vital to their survival in a harsh mountain environment. They can solve logical puzzles, such as pushing and pulling things in orderly manner to get to food for example pushing the lid off a dust bin to get at the food inside, and they work together to achieve a certain objective.  
The kea's notorious urge to explore and manipulate makes this bird both a pest for residents and an attraction for tourists. Called "the clown of the mountains", it will investigate backpacks, boots, skis, snowboards, and even cars (most commonly the rubber areas e.g. window frames), 

The drivers who would park their cars or vans in parking for some time would come back and find the rubber items on the car gone, if allowed it would steal our shoes off our feet !.
 People commonly encounter wild kea at South Island ski areas, where they are attracted by the prospect of food scraps. Their curiosity leads them to peck and carry away unguarded items of clothing, leading to amusement and annoyance of human observers. They are often described as "cheeky". A kea has even been reported to have made off with a tourist's passport while he was visiting the national park
Some people believe that the unbalanced diet resulting from feeding kea human foods has a detrimental effect on the birds' health as they will have more time for investigative and damaging activities.

We left Arthur’s Pass and proceeded on for Franz Josef ,on the way we stopped for lunch at Hokitika a town in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island, 40 kilometres south of Greymouth, and close to the mouth of the Hokitika river.
As per 2013 census population of the Hokitika urban area was 2,967.On a clear day Aoraki /Mount Cook would be seen from its main street.
Founded on gold mining in 1864, it was a centre of the West coast gold rush. By late 1866, it was one of New Zealand's most populous centres.. In 1867, the port of Hokitika ranked first in New Zealand in both the number of vessels which entered inwards and in total value of exports specially gold.

For book lovers like me, it is gratifying to know that Eleanor Catton’s Man Booker Prize -winning novel ,The Luminaries is set in gold rush-era Hokitika.
After lunch we stepped into a museum cum shop where we could see very huge pieces of Pounamu or jade and met master carvers in their working studios ,they were patiently explaining the process of carving the jade . One can even carve a piece for themselves 

Hokitika’s major industries of greenstone (pounamu), gold, coal, and forestry have all dwindled over the last century, but a growing  ecotourism industry has grown up .It has become a major tourist stop on the West Coast's main highway route, with carving of greenstone an important local industry.

 Another important industry is dairying, Hokitika Sock Machine Museum in town has on display a collection of antique sock-knitting machines and invites visitors to knit their own socks.
For a small town, Hokitika struck it rich in the resources stakes. Before the gold rushes Maori were already heading here in search of another precious stone – pounamu - Maori name also known as greenstone or New Zealand jade
 Pounamu refers to several types of hard, durable and highly valued nephrite jade, bowenite, or serpentinite stone found in southern New Zealand. 
Modern Maori who wish to give a gift of pounamu always look out for New Zealand nephrite. Traditionally, Maori consider this stone as a talisman and believe in its spiritual powers to evoke strength and prosperity, to protect, express love and kinship, and to depict growth and harmony.

Maori designs carved in jade are steeped in religious and spiritual belief. They tell stories of ancestors long departed, depict spirits from the heavens, earth, and underworld, show historical lineage and paint images of the natural world  
 Maori believe that a pounamu carving if worn against the skin, it would absorb some of that person’s essence. As carvings were passed down through the family they absorbed essence from each family member, creating a direct ancestral connection through the necklace itself. 

Designs where hands are placed on the loins directly referred to fertility. The toki, or adze, has its origins as a practical tool used in axes.
The hei matu, or fish hook, has endured since pre-colonial times (prior to the 18thcentury) and symbolises abundance, and a respect for sea..
The koru is a modern design used extensively in Maori art, based on the unfurling silver fern frond and represents new life and growth.
 Another modern design is the twist, which symbolises life’s eternal emerging paths. Heart designs are also a modern design. They're often associated with feelings and meanings of love, unity, and cohesion because the heart is where many of us experience our feelings.
The manaia is a relatively modern design to be carved in greenstone, and is considered the messenger between gods and mortals. 
I could hardly finish looking at all the beautiful pieces and designs yearningly and my husband literally dragged me out to have a look at the beach 
We were surprised to find ourselves stepping from the centre of the town into the beach in a jiffy

Hokitika is the only town centre on the West Coast located by the beach.  The beach was rough, strewn with driftwood and beautiful views. For a knowledgeable person it was not rare to discover pieces of jade washed ashore by the sea in a storm,however we need permission to get it.
We saw a clock monument in the centre of the Hokitika Town. This was constructed to remember the 130 men who were dispatched from the Westland District to serve in the South African War.

All together it was a very nice town to spend some time