After waking up, preparing breakfast and packing the tent away, we took a walk along the beach. Gillespie beach was a mining area in the past and and the walk led us past interesting, rusty old mining equipment. Further on along the beach we spotted a pod of dolphins out at sea playing, which was exciting to see! We spotted what appeared to be a river that 'stopped dead' at the beach, but gave an amazing mirror view of the snow capped mountains behind. Truly Magnificent!
We drove off and investigated the tiny mining graveyard. The gravestones telling the fate of some of the early Irish settlers in the area.
About 30 minutes on, we arrived at the Franz Joseph Glacier. A short walk took us within 500m ... but any closer would have been dangerous. This is due to unstable glacier rock deposits or huge chunks the ice, the size of cars, falling off!
A long drive on, with petrol and picnic stops to keep us fuelled up, we arrived in a beautiful campsite by lake Mahinapuha near Hokitika village.
We drove off and investigated the tiny mining graveyard. The gravestones telling the fate of some of the early Irish settlers in the area.
About 30 minutes on, we arrived at the Franz Joseph Glacier. A short walk took us within 500m ... but any closer would have been dangerous. This is due to unstable glacier rock deposits or huge chunks the ice, the size of cars, falling off!
A long drive on, with petrol and picnic stops to keep us fuelled up, we arrived in a beautiful campsite by lake Mahinapuha near Hokitika village.
