View of Southern Alps close to Fran Joseph town

Fox valley from the ridge between F Joeph and Fox townships

Haaus river: bigger than either F Koseph or Fox - road follows the river for a considerable distance up into the mountains before crossing a saddle.

28th June 2010

Journey down to Wanaka turned out to be long and tedious. First half of the journey retraced my steps back to Fox township, albeit in day light this time, then on through Haaus valley. Road alongside Haaus river quite tortuous, was worried over the conditions as the temperature hovered around the +1 mark. Need not have worried as apart from areas of grit where there was potential black ice the roads were dry and fine.

Wanaka enveloped by cloud, not lifted in 5 days. Hostel totally full, had the last bed and a top bunk at that. Shared with 4 french, 2 male, 2 female. I was in bed by the time they decided to call it a day and was still in bed when I left at 0900. Mostly I am one of the last to rise and have breakfast in the hostels. The people I met that morning (29th) were all going up to the slopes for snow boarding.

Being a life long Hobbit fan I had my own idea of what the characters looked like, but was talked into seeing the first film. Did not require any further talking for the 2nd and 3rd films and in my view thought that the films were true to the Lord of the Rings books. Having now been to NZ and seen the amazing countryside I will look at the films with fresh eyes. Peter Jackson had the right idea. Tolkein had not been to NZ and his (Tolkein's) perpestive of what middle earth would look has been expressed very clearly in the three books. Jackson's vision that NZ would fit the bill being a new country and mostly untouched by human intervention was correct.

That's all for now - interesting day ahead.