New Zealand: Day 14
January 16, 2013
Cue Supertramp: "It's raining again. Oh no, my love's at an end. Oh no, it's raining again, and you know it's hard to pretend. ... Oh will my heart ever mend? ... You're old enough some people say, to read the signs and walk away. It's only time that heals the pain, and makes the sun come out again." Yes, it was raining again when we awoke this morning, and it continued on and off throughout the day. The day was considerably cooler, with temperatures in the low 60s reaching the higher 60s later in the day when the sun made the briefest of appearances.
But, as always, I'm not going to allow some inclement weather spoil a vacation day, at least to the extent I have any control. A short distance after leaving Greymouth, we stopped in the small town of Hokitika for the greenstone/jade (Maori: ponaumu) workshop that had been on our itinerary for yesterday. Hokitika is full of greenstone/jade workshops which is somewhat strange because jade is not found in that area, but, rather, in the regions further south of the island.
I was not quite awake as we rolled into Hokitika, so I did not notice the numerous jade workshops in the town, and therefore did not ask why all of the workshops had congregated there if the greenstone was found much further south. In any event, jade jewelry was to be found in just about every tourist-related store I had visited in New Zealand, even the little roadside cafes where we stopped for morning and afternoon tea.
Although I do think jade -- in all of its shades -- is very beautiful, and I have long admired jade artwork on display at museums, I was not planning to buy anything because I am not someone who wears any jewelry at all other than a watch. However, one pendant on display caught my eye in a serious way. It was in the Koru style representing a new fern shoot, a plant that is ubiquitous in New Zealand. It symbolizes new beginnings, growth, and harmony. I felt it was not only a perfect emblem of the new beginning upon which I was about to embark when I returned to the States, it also had intimate ties to New Zealand, ties I wanted to maintain. It's a simple spiral in a dark green shade with a matte finish, all qualities I liked. I checked with a clerk to make sure it was something a man would wear, and I purchased it. Photo below.
We then continued our journey towards Franz Josef with a stop for morning tea at Pete's Possum Pies, "you kill 'em, we grill 'em." The shop was overflowing with hilarity. Just outside the front door was a sign announcing the Bank of Pukekura exchange rates for other currencies (Pukekura population=2). Even though the New Zealand dollar is worth only about 85 cents US$, the Bank of Pukekura would only exchange a NZ$ for one US$, stating, "The US currency is in decline. We are offering this special US$ for NZ$ deal. Take it before your greenback is worthless." The bank had similarly insulting offers for the Australian dollar, the British pound, the Japanese yen, and the Canadian dollar.
We reached the small town of Franz Josef shortly after noon. Our hotel rooms would not be ready until 2pm. Following lunch, we had two options: (1) hike to Franz Josef Glacier beginning at 1:30 or take a helicopter ride at 2:45 that would take in both the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, with a landing on the Franz Josef Glacier for a short walk. Although the skies were still overcast, the rain had stopped.
I remembered the difficulty I had climbing the sand dunes at Te Paki, and feared that a hike to the glacier would be similarly difficult. So I opted for the helicopter trip. After all, we could hear helicopters taking off and landing nearby. I didn't like the fact that if the helicopter trip fell through I would miss out on the chance to do the hike, but I decided to take the risk. Our bus driver said that if the afternoon's helicopter trip was cancelled, then we would have another opportunity in the morning.
The restaurant where I ate lunch offered free wi-fi, so I was absorbed in reading email and did not notice the rain pick up again. The rain had stopped by the time I finished my leisurely lunch, but I immediately noticed the wet streets and sidewalks as I began walking back to the hotel a little after 2pm. While walking back to the hotel, the rain started again, a serious downpour. A sense of foreboding began developing. When the small group of us showed up at the helicopter's offices, our fears were confirmed: there would be no more helicopter trips today.
One industrious member of our group had found a plan B: a "helIMAX" movie of the nearby glaciers. I thought this was needless torment reminding us of what we were missing, but I went along with the group. Several companies in Franz Josef offered similar helicopter trips to the one that had been cancelled, so after the 15-minute film was over we found a company that was willing to make a booking for 5:30. We were ready to go at the designated time, but the weather was not cooperative. The company asked us to wait another half hour to see if the weather improved; we agreed to wait, but the weather didn't change. We did not get to make our trip, and the possibility of a trip tomorrow did not look good either: while waiting I had checked the weather forecast and it predicted a high probability of more rain. <sigh>
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We have had some, er, unfortunate ... unpleasant ... experiences with dinner during our travels; one meal took two hours to serve, and another took two and a half hours. Tonight's dinner was exceptional: all three courses were served and cleared within 45 minutes! The serving staff's efficiency was amazing.
It also was especially appreciated because a small group of us had decided to go to a spa after dinner, and the spa closed at 9pm. When we purchased our discounted tickets at the hotel front desk, we were told that the spa stopped admitting people after 8pm, only 20 minutes later. We did make it in time, and it was a great way to end the day. It began raining again on our way to the spa, but it didn't matter to us because we were about to get thoroughly wet in a few minutes anyway.
The spa was unlike Rotorua's Polynesian Spa because it did not use natural, sulphurous hot springs. Instead it used heated glacial water. The spa had three pools with temperatures ranging from 37 degrees C to 40 degrees C. We started with the coolest pool, and then moved to the hottest pool. We enjoyed the treat very much. It was a relaxing and pleasant way to end what had been a frustrating day.
So much rain! How can I avoid running into this problem when I return to New Zealand? I learned that New Zealand gets the least rainfall in March, which is its equivalent of August. We were there in New Zealand's equivalent of June when rain is still prevalent. The helicopter company we had been in contact with told us it was able to make only 50% of its scheduled flights at this time of the year. Even if I had this information prior to making my plans for this trip to New Zealand I don't know if it would have made any difference. By March of 2013 I planned to be full throttle in job hunting mode. This trip, I am concluding, is just scouting out the country in preparation for a return when I will be able to take some fantastic photographs. March will be the month of my return; I just don't know the year yet.
Moreover, I must add the road from Greymouth to Franz Josef, and Franz Josef itself to the list of places to visit on my next trip to this beautiful country. My uncle (who has visited New Zealand twice himself) was right on target when he said New Zealand was like all of the US national parks crammed into a space the size of New Jersey. My opinion thus far is that the South Island is considerably more beautiful than the North Island, even though most of my attempts to get a good look at the South Island have been thwarted. I have seen enough hints to know what I'm missing.
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Last revised: August 26, 2015.
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