Haast to Hokitaki. Friday 25th February. 281kms.

After breakfast in the camp lounge/kitchen we said goodbye to last nights friends and set off north. This was to be the start of the stunning scenery of the West coast and it is certainly worth braving the sand flies to see it. Each twist and turn of the road reveals spectacular views of coast, forest, mountain and river Our first stop was at the Fox Glacier. There is a short approach road up to the car park which is at the side of the river which runs down from the base of the glacier. Once on the track to the glacier signs told us that we had to keep on walking for 500 metres, no stopping to marvel at the site, until we.reached the slightly uphill path which would take us to the bottom of the glacier. It was a magnificent sight and there were amazing rocks to marvel at (and to take samples of!). We eventually reached a stream and Nigel decided that he couldn't get across it in safety. I would have been willing to have a go and to encourage him but for several minutes, as we approached the glacier, I had had a feeling of "doom" Don't know why, it's not like me but I felt as if I wanted to get away from the area.As we were walking back to the car park we heard a couple of deep booms from the direction of the glacier. some of the ice must have broken off as we could see great chunks of it floating down the river which had not been there when we arrived. An amazing experience. Back on the main road and we stopped in the small town of Franz Josef, not to visit the glacier but just to buy something for lunch before leaving and heading to our next stop at Hokitaki. There we stayed at the Hokitaki holiday park a kilometre or so out of town. There were a couple of sites by the beach but now being wary of the blessed sand flies we thought that we would be better off away from the beach. I met a young couple with a small baby who were booking into one of the cabins. They had left Christchurch after the earthquake as they had no power and water at home, I felt so sorry for them as they were both obviously in a state of shock.