Feb-April 2011 New Zealand Week 5 part 2

Mt Aspiring
Ship leaving Milford Sound
Milford Sound
Beats Driving!
We drove to Hokitika and set out to see Lake Kaniere and Hokitika Gorge. After doing several hikes near the lake in the rain, we were soaked to the bone. We decided to skip the gorge and drive to Franz Josef Glacier. A clear morning gave us great views and we hiked as close as we could get to the face of the glacier. We tried to get a classic picture of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman and their reflection in Lake Matheson, but the clouds and the wind did not cooperate. We headed down to Fox Glacier and hiked to its face.
We crossed the Southern Alps again at Haast Pass and enjoyed the many falls and hikes in the area. The last time we were in NZ we hiked the Milford Track to Milford Sound. Since it was a 10 hour RT drive to Milford Sound we decided to skip the drive and take a scenic flight to Milford Sound from Wanaka, cruise the sound and fly back. We heard a storm was approaching Fiordland, but it held off long enough for us to do our trip. It was a great way to see the mountains and the sound.