November 26
The drive from
Christchurch to Franz Josef is spectacular…and long.
Be sure to buy a
good map while you’re there so you are familiar with where you are heading and can track your progress along the way.
Leave
Christchurch in the morning as early as possible so you have the chance to stop along the way to enjoy the scenery.
The drive will take you through the
New Zealand Southern Alps…which are very similar to the Alps in
Germany (hence the name)…but a little smaller if I remember
Germany correctly.
There is only
one route to take west from across the Alps (HWY 7 ) and down the west coast along the
Tasman Sea.
Dee Dee and I frequently said “WOW!
Stop the car to take a picture”…the natural beauty is like nothing else in the world.
Welcome to Rivendell (my wife has NO IDEA what that means ;-) ).
Yes, many of the landscapes, snow capped mountains, etc were featured in The Lord of the Rings…one can even take a tour of the locations if so moved.
The roads are well paved, but only one lane wide in each direction. When you get stuck behind a slow truck or driver, be careful when you pass using the lane in the opposite direction. The dotted lines in the center signify it’s safe to pass…don’t pass on a solid line road for there are frequently blind curves or even blind hills where on coming cars can be hidden. I’m sure head-on collisions do happen. Take your time and you will have a safe and enjoyable drive. And yes, the tiny compact rental car with a 4-cylinder engine you rented will make the trip just fine.
We recommend cutting through the Alps and then stopping for lunch in Hokitika which is on the coast. There is a café there called Café de Paris which is a great place to stop for lunch and is easy to find. After lunch, be sure to stop to fill up on gas too. The next few hours will be back into the mountains as you wind your way to the glacier areas…and there are several long stretches where there are no gas stations. Don’t push it…fill up before you get into the mountains. Before jumping back on the road, stop at the nearby beach area and dip your feet into the Tasman Sea. There will be an ocean horizon in front of you…and a snow capped mountain view behind you. Where else in the world can you see that!
You will eventually drive into Franz Josef around 4:00pm with an understanding of why people from all over the world come to New Zealand.
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