Rainforest Motel - Fox Glacier - Salmon Farm - Haast (DESPERATE) - Wanaka (phew)

Doug was away early for a run to have a look at the Fox Glacier. We then got in the car and left our nice motel (lots of these motels have 2 bedrooms so are a bargain for multiple occupants!).

Pretty miserable day so we aimed to drive a lot. Our first stop was in Paringa at a salmon farm.


Salmon farm where you can feed the fish, and then go and eat some. Very nice cafe.

Next stop, was a 3km hike through some woods to a beach which is home to a fiordland crested penguin colony. Great walk through the woods, but they were indeed SHY penguins as we saw none (probably wrong time of day too, Penguins seem to come ashore at dusk).


Forest walk


Iconic new fern, also tasty bush tucker in this form (quite nutty) - perhaps why it is of importance to the Maori culture symbolising new beginnings, growth and harmony


AM on the beach


The shy penguins we didn't see


Art (by Doug) amongst driftwood a little further down the coast


More art (by Doug)


Silly picture (by Doug)

The low point of the day was looking for food in Haast. What a dump. If you are heading down this way I recommend you plan to avoid Haast and prepare yourselves for the long drive to Wanaka.

Finally arrived in Wanaka! Missed out on the wacky cinema because we were running a bit late but had an amazing feed and great service, and fantastic beer at the Kai Whakapai Café - highly recommended. Great veggie food especially, and did I mention the beer? This was recommended by the motel which we stayed at, which was also pretty good, the Brookvale motel (we have previously had some pretty awful motels in Wanaka).

News from the motel also suggested that the skiing was still great at the local resorts here such as Cardrona and Treble Cone.