The next day was light on the driving so that everybody could nurse their hangovers from the green party the night before. We arrived in the town of Franz Josef just after lunch giving me the whole afternoon to visit the Kiwi reserve (the national endangered bird) and leisurely stroll the quaint shops in the tiny town. I really wanted to do the heli-ice climb but at $350 each Jon and I decided to skip it. I was regretting the decision until I found out that the trip had been cancelled anyways due to bad weather. The girls and I headed out for a hike to try and get as close to the glacier as we could (which is not very close) while Jon spent the day resting his leg which was still bothering him from the Tongariro Crossing Hike. He has even started collecting different pain pills from others on the bus prompting me to insist that he visit a doctor if the pain did not go away in a few days.
Views of the glacier and us in front of the glacier and from my walk home.
Where we stayed nights 11 and 12, Rainforest Retreat Motels and Holiday Park. We had our own private, cozy, cabin for about $70 that barely had a foot around the bed to move with shared bathroom facilities in the building next door. There was a great kitchen for the guests use where Jon and I whipped up some scrumptious blue cheese burgers. The resort had numerous different accommodation types from dorms, to rooms, to tree-houses and a caravan park. A highlight for me was the free use of the 20-person hot tub (of course I sat in it in the rain because it rained everyday) and sauna. There was a restaurant on site that offered and all you can eat wood-fired pizza every other night for about $15 and the popular Monsoons bar with the slogan when it rains, we pour.
View of the restaurant, the entrance to the resort and our cabin.
Journey with Christina 