Franz Joseph

After the ordeal of the previous day, we were ready to put it all behind us and catch up with a less crowded bus when it was time to move on.  We were asked to meet the new driver at 11 am to plan the rest of our journey.  There was no new news, we had breakfast, and met up with him again at noon to hear the latest update.  He informed us that we were good to go on the rest of the bus journey, and that we would pick up the crew when they arrive in Franz Joseph.  Yay!  Great news, right?  Until he told just me, Bret, and Jody that we were only booked through until Queenstown, and were on a wait list to get back to Christchurch.  At this point, we had just about had it with the inconveniences that the KiwiExperience was causing us.  We nodded in agreement, and took our stuff to our new hostel to settle in and think over our options.  We had had enough time to think and discuss our frustrations, and we finally decided to cancel our bus trip and book with another, more reliable company that Bret and I had traveled with before.  Finally, our previous experiences and knowledge about various NZ things came in quite handy as Bret took care of the negotiations and booking of the rest of our upcoming travel plans as Jody and I relaxed in our cozy new hostel.

 

In  the rain in Franz Joseph!

Right before dinner...very excited!!!

Bret loving the new pin I bought him...I <3 Kiwi Beer!  He wore it proudly.

 

Photo op with the Moa  in the rain

  

Feeling empowered and rich after the refund, we lazed around the rest of the afternoon and headed to one of the five restaurants in Franz for a quick fish and chips dinner.  We met some fellow Americans, and enjoyed some time in the lofted pub overlooking the lushly covered rainy rainforest hills.  Afterward, we piled on the rain gear, and trekked to the Glacier Hot Pools, three glacier-water-fed hot pools of 36, 38, and 40 degrees Celsius.  Tucked right into the rainforest with a few sails to cover the pools, we could feel the cool rain as we relaxed in the warm pools in the night.  Aaahhh!

Dinner at Blue Ice

 

Hot Pools!