A little throwback to our journey to Franz Josef and Fox Glacier from Nelson. No plan, no long stops, no big hiking, not the perfect or ‘best’ views possible, just short stops along the way and not too long leisure walks, no fear of ‘missing out,’ travel by your own pace and accord.
The Story
T
he view shifted, occasionally, opening onto flatlands and closing back as we drove through one of the many mountains in the region. Lakes and rivers passed, unannounced and unbeknownst, only visible through the 7-inch screen on the dashboard, shown in the form of a 2D roadmap. We spent about 2 days driving along the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand, Franz Josef was the stop for the day.
‘Harihari,’ a name popped up on the screen. “Harihari,” my passenger ingénue uttered, after waking up from one of her few beauty naps, as she was rocked to sleep by the car, somewhere along the way, like a baby in a cradle. “That’s a cute name, hehe,” she continued after a brief pause. I chuckled. It was the first word she said after waking up. “Has a bit of a Japanese ring to it,” I replied, but the language was, of course, Māori. ‘To take or carry joy,’ was what the name meant, a great name for a place befitting its title.
A flat land stretches far and wide, giving my tired eyes some break, the road is straight, and the view eases the fatigue. We left our Airbnb in Nelson for a more than five-hour drive to Franz Josef on the state highway 6, passing the mountains, along its winding road, up and down its elevation, crossing small and large rivers, cruising along the coast at our own pace. In essence, that was our travel day; the scenery we saw from the road was plenty for us, we took the route that was recommended by the program, and saw what we would and pass what we would not. We found peace in not having to worry about missing this and that spot, and not spending time planning where to stop and what time we should arrive.
At times, the landscape around us would bring us to a stop. We’d pull over on a dedicated spot and step down from our car, stretching our arms and legs, and letting out some voices of relief as our mussel got to breathe for the first time in an hour or two. We admired the different views in front of us, took some photos, walked around in circles a little, and got back in the car. ‘Are you tired?’ she would ask before we continued each time, sometimes followed by an ‘Are you hungry?’ to which I would answer with ‘Are you?’ and the answer would always be no.
We would always pack some light meals on long drives, along with some snacks like chips and gummies that she would occasionally feed to me along the way. When it’s meal time, we would park up somewhere and have a sandwich or some pies we’d pick up along the way. Usually, we would only drink enough water to hydrate ourselves a little so as to avoid the urge to use the bathroom too many times. It is probably not so good, but we would like to avoid the public bathrooms, which could be a little unpleasant depending on where we stop.
Whenever I was feeling a bit tired, we’d make a stop at one of the scenic spots along the way, not making much of a detour from our route. Lake Ianthe Wharf was one stop we made. The atmosphere around that place, from what I remember, albeit vaguely, was very quiet in autumn, the water was calm and reflective, the weather was cold but bearable with one thick layer and a down jacket, and the wind was not too harsh.
Harihari was less than an hour away from our intended destination. Around there is when we decided if the journey was too much for us or if we could go a little further; on that day, it was enough. We pulled up in the hotel driveway, one that we booked in advance, at Franz Josef. An older gentleman greeted us, checked us in, and guided our car to our lodging for the night. The room was plenty big for the two of us, and there was also a kitchen, where we made a simple instant noodle for dinner. There was also a gas fireplace in the room, which we enjoyed sitting in front of.
Franz Josef was a town that we would describe as scenic, with a large river flowing through and mountains surrounding it. The town was one of those places we felt like going back to spend a leisurely day or two at.
Before we arrived at the hotel, we’d made one stop at the Franz Josef Township Walk and Cycleway, where we took around a 15-30 minute hike to see the Franz Josef Glacier. Although the glacier was a bit far away, the 55-200mm lens I had with me served me well that day. By the time I’m writing this, many phones could replicate a shot similar to the lens with a 5x zoom on the iPhone or other ridiculously good Android cameras on the market.
Our journey there was one that I thoroughly enjoyed, even if we’d missed a lot of potentially breathtaking views along the way. The concept was simple: if we were not up for a long walk, then we wouldn’t take the long walk; if we did not want to make a detour, then we wouldn’t.
The view we see from where we are comfortable will probably be more beautiful than the view we struggle to reach or were not in the right mood to do so.
A bonus stop for those who would be driving past Fox Glacier, as we did after spending a night in Franz Josef: Fox Glacier Viewpoint / Te Kopikopiko O Te Waka. A great place to see the glacier by car.
