Magnificant Rainforests in my favorite glacial village Fox, NZ

Welcome to glacier country—land of towering mountains topped with snowy glaciers butting up to lush rainforests framing the ocean along NZ's West Coast -— where dual giants Franz and Fox lumber over tiny namesake villages nabbing as many unsuspecting tourists that they can.

Franz is the aggressive one pushing busloads of people into his frenzied village, while Fox reveals a gentler side enticing visitors with a relaxed, friendlier presence. The glacier itself is bigger in Fox, and the range of available activities, such as heli-hiking, scenic flights and guided walks, are similar to Franz, just less expensive!

We'd reserved heli-hikes on both glaciers to maximize our odds of flying. When Franz's got canceled, we did the glacier walk. Despite wearing double socks, I developed deep heel wounds that screamed at the sight of another pair of hobnailed boots. So we sadly canceled our last opportunity to heli-hike at Fox, allowing my feet to heal before our upcoming three-day tramping trip on the Routeburn.

Highlights:
* Minnehaha Walk through gnarly trees, springy moss and giant ferns.
* Biking to Lake Matheson and walking around the boardwalk.
* Tasting NZ's famous Pavlov dessert at Cook Saddle Café

Quick Tips:

Check current exchange rates. Feb 2003 was roughly US=NZ.

Unless you're traveling in tour groups or backpacker buses (which stay at Franz) seriously consider staying in Fox. The village was wonderful -– friendly locals, better food, terrific accommodations, and greater glacier options -— you can even stay overnight in an alpine hut!

FOX Glacier activities:
All offered by Fox Guides except scenic flights.
* guided glacier walks (NZ)
* heli-hiking (NZ, 3.5 hour trip)
* ice climbing instruction (NZ)
* heli-hike overnight trip (NZ, 2 days all-inclusive)
* heli-ski trips (NZ, 5 days all-inclusive)
* scenic flights (NZ-200, 20-30 minute ride) Helicopter Line or Mountain Helicopters

FOX Nature activities:
* Minnehaha rainforest walk (right in town, a MUST DO!)
* Lake Matheson walk (1.5 loop plus 3 miles to get there)
* Glowworm Dell (through the backdoor of the Information Centre looms another world . . . 10pm, NZ)
* Seal colony Gillespies Beach (20 km west) * Copeland Track (multi-day hike 26km south)
* Fjordland crested penguins at Munroe Beach (enroute to Haast)

Best Way To Get Around:

Be prepared for a full day's journey from Christchurch, Nelson or Queenstown.

Intercity buses travel to Fox village from anywhere, whereas Atomic Shuttle vans zip between Queenstown and Greymouth exclusively, stopping at Fox village in-between.

South Pacific Travelers offer excellent three-day tours from Queenstown to Christchurch (NZ) or Queenstown to Nelson (NZ). Both include a glacier walk on their full day in Fox, and top transportation such as the Tranz Alpine train.

From Christchurch:
Take the scenic Tranz Alpine train from Christchurch to Greymouth (9am-1:30pm) then a bus from Greymouth to Fox on Atomic Shuttle (NZ, 1:45-5:30pm) or Intercity (NZ, 1:50-6pm).

From Fox to Franz:
Catch Atomic Shuttle (daily 2-2:30pm).

From Fox to Wanaka/Queenstown:
Take the Intercity bus for a smooth comfortable ride and a surprising option of joining a Haast Riverboat tour mid-trip that meets up with your bus an hour later. Bus departs Franz at 8:30am, arrives in Wanaka (NZ) at 2pm, and Queenstown(NZ) at 4pm.

Atomic Shuttle delivered us to the driveway of the hostel perched on a hill. We were welcomed by a gorgeous profusion of colorful flowers landscaped around the tidy two-story balconied Ivory Towers. We passed a couple of tents pitched in the lawn and entered the office of the busy little place. Dale, the proprietor, checked us in while we took in the variety of options for guests.

A cafe across the hall was open for all three meals, bikes and laundry services were available for hire, and a spa could be used for free. A community room filled with a televison, computer, couches and bookshelves filled with games, books, CDs, and videos looked potentially noisy, but although busy was never detectable behind closed doors.

Our room was decorated with a tropical, festive flair. Brightly patterned beach inspired bedspreads covered the double and two twins in the spacious sunny room. White wicker chairs sat next to a wide picture window looking out on vivid green ferns and semi-tropical plants smack up against the glass. The facing wall was also glass in the form of a sliding door leading to a patio. Nice. A large dresser, televison, and closet -— although unused -— were present. Colorful fish, shells and plants decorated the adjoining bathroom which had a spotless shower and another picture window looking out onto the rainforest.

Our ensuite room cost NZ$70 ($35 US), but other private rooms cost NZ$30 single or NZ$44 double if you share a bathroom. Dorms cost NZ$18 per bunk. Pitching a tent is also an option, but why bother when you can get quiet, comfortable rooms for the price of dinner?

Location of this hostel is great! It sits on a little hill one street behind main street. Just half a block away are two cafes and the Information Centre, where you can observe glow worms after 10pm through the back door. Down the hill to the right across the street is the Alpine Guide Tour Operator which organizes all heli-hikes, scenic flights and glacier walks to Fox Glacier. A few blocks further are two outstanding restaurants and a grocery store (bus stop). Down the hill to the left 5 minutes away is the trailhead for the creepy-ya-gotta-see-this Minnehaha Rainforest.

You can walk anywhere in the village in 10 minutes tops.

Lake Matheson is three miles out of town. Walk or rent one of the available bikes for NZ$4 per hour or NZ$20 per day.

If full (reserve in advance) check out other Fox accommodations:
Heart of the village:
Fox Glacier (NZ$130+)
Glacier County Hotel (NZ$150+)
Te Weheki (NZ$174+)
Rainforest Motel (NZ$70+)
Fox Glacier Lodge (NZ$80+)

Rural mountain view five minute walk from town:
Mt. Cook View (NZ$80+)
Fox Glacier Motel (NZ$70+)

What a fun place! Great food, relaxed atmosphere, friendly wait staff, funky plates and an eccentric menu. Plus, my only opportunity to taste New Zealand's famous mouth-watering dessert, Pavlova.

After a busy day of hiking on a glacier, through a rainforest and biking to Lake Matheson for a walk around the boardwalk, we were HUNGRY! And this was the perfect place to go.

At 9:30pm we entered the restaurant bustling with such business we actually had to wait a couple minutes to get seated. A massive brick wall and fireplace separated a huge room into two cozier ones. Wooden tables, chairs, timber poles, black and white photographs of early adventurers on the glacier, a maroon ceiling with squiggly black iron light fixtures, gas lanterns, animal heads, and a massive bar filled the room. There was a pleasant buzz of happy, contented patrons both locals and tourists. Wonderfully laid-back, it was a great place to unwind after a busy day.

Our smiling waitress promptly brought us water and menus, taking time to tell us which dishes were local favorites. Scanning the menu we saw main selections (NZ$14.50-28) included salmon filets, lamb chops, venison on polenta with blackberry sauce, grilled chicken with tiger prawns, enchiladas, pasta dishes, grouper, ribs and oddly enough, a Howdy Doody Burger. Appetizers, or grazing items according to the menu, ranging from NZ$3.50-17.50 included avocado and shrimp salad, calamari salad, mussels and smoked salmon.

We both selected the spicy chicken enchilada (NZ$18.50), eager to see the New Zealand twist on Mexican food. My surprise came early when our waitress asked if we wanted pumpkin, zucchini, carrots, or cauliflower with that, then asked us to choose between a baked potato or french fries. With an enchilada?? Interesting . . . but where were the margaritas? Sorry, not served here.

Our enchiladas -– and other dishes passing within view -– were huge. Shredded chicken, chili beans, bean paste, onions, lettuce and brie cheese (what else in NZ) were stuffed into flour tortillas and decorated with a scoop of diced tomato chunky salsa instead of enchilada sauce. Although described as spicy, again no luck, but we were getting used to that. It was remarkably tasty and quite filling. I certainly didn't need or eat the huge baked potato that accompanied it, but enjoyed the unusual taste of pumpkin as its side dish.

But the best part was dessert. Despite being full, we couldn't resist our waitresses' glowing report of the fantastic desserts. Her favorite was the Pavlova, delicate meringue topped with fresh fruit, cream, AND ice cream. (Really, the meringue and fruit are plenty!) So I tried it. Fabulous, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. From that moment on I looked for Pavlova on menus wherever we went, but never saw it again even in Christchurch, Auckland, Dunedin . . . David's berry cheesecake had large juicy berries visible in the thick creamy slice. Heavenly. Stuffed from dinner? Take our waitress' advice, you really have to make room!

"So what's Minnehaha like?" I asked Dale, proprietor of the Ivory Tower hostel.

"Dinosaur land," he said mischievously, explaining how his son's imaginary world comes ALIVE in that swampy rainforest searching for scary creatures among dripping moss, giant ferns and gnarly trees. It was his favorite place to go.

Immediately intrigued, I got directions, grabbed my husband, and left. Dale had assured us we'd have enough time to do the easy 20 minute loop and still have time to bike and hike around Lake Matheson before sunset. We walked down the hill to the highway and turned left. The trail head was obvious within minutes, clearly marked.

We stepped onto the gravel path and entered a magical world of green. A profusion of green ferns and tiny intricate lichens were the backdrop for strange twisted trees cloaked in a tapestry of velvety mosses. Bubbling brooks, singing birds and pools of clear water were heard but not easily seen in the thick foliage. Fern trees and massive palms fanned out above us like over-sized umbrellas, letting slivers of sunshine shine through between fronds.

Gigantic Kahikatea trees stood proudly in the forest, arms dripping with feathery mosses and intertwining vines, looking as if giants -— grabbing a snack as they lumbered through -— had pulled with such force that their roots were exposed four feet above ground. Such intriguing shapes and spaces begged exploration. We crawled around and sat under these roots, marveling at the strangeness.

Not ready to leave this enchanted forest 15 minutes into our walk, we veered left from the main trail, choosing directions at random whenever the path diverted.

The vegetation became dense, thick and jungly. Gnarly trees with reddish bark were contorted into strange positions resembling scary faces and snakes. How I understood that child's imagination! Bizarre massive trunks appeared to have had difficulty swallowing their young -— partially digested lichen -- covered forms stuck out of the bark in fantastical lumps creating haunting images of crouching animals and monstrous creatures watching us through narrowed eyes, their outstretched arms waiting to grab us as we naively wandered past.

In the middle of this spooky rainforest we came across a beautiful waterfall cascading onto moss-covered rocks framed by lush ferns. Stopping here we realized that we'd wandered deep into this wonderland for over an hour. We attempted to retrace our steps -— disagreeing on the route as we stumbled over twisted branches and thick roots in the darkening forest. Nothing looked familiar.

Huge mounds of earth covered in fine tiny ferns, ripped apart in a previous life, left sinister gaps of dark shadows leading to intimidating spaces better left unexplored. With hushed voices we crept past, not wanting to wake the creatures that surely lurked inside.

Suddenly we heard rustling in the foliage immediately ahead. I don't know who scared who more. But we were both relieved to see another couple! Admittedly lost, we joined together and found our way back, eluding those monsters with loud conversations.

I'd seen the postcards. That striking image of snow-capped mountains perfectly reflected in a scenic blue lake. When I found out it was in Fox Village, I couldn't wait to try my hand at that famous photograph.

I knew from my reading that the best time to take pictures was sunrise or sunset, when the lake was absolutely still. But what guide books don't tell you is that Lake Matheson is 3 miles away from the village. So if you don't have your own car you'll have to walk or bike to get there, as the village does not have a taxi or transport service.

We had just completed a glacier hike at Franz and taken the 5pm shuttle to Fox. I wanted to walk the Minnehaha rainforest trail before Lake Matheson so time was running out if we wanted to visit before dark. We checked into our hostel, Ivory Towers, and talked to Dale, the proprietor, who suggested that we save time by biking to Lake Matheson. Perfect!

We rented bikes (NZ$4 per hour) and easily found our way down the country road. The fifteen minute ride was quiet, easy and enjoyable, even with sore legs. We rode past cows, sheep and deer along a flat country road surrounded by shadowy mountains. A few locals walking to their fields or toward town waved, smiled or chatted with us as we crossed paths.

We turned right onto Lake Matheson road, passed a Café and stored our bikes in the ditch near the trail head. Dusk was already setting in, and clouds were fast approaching. I was having my doubts about any mirror image, but we hurried along the boardwalk in hopes that we would.

The scenic trail was easy. Several elderly people were enjoying the solitude of the forest walk, stopping to admire strange and beautiful plants near the water or resting in benches along the way. Bright green ferns shared the forest with moss-covered trees and thick vegetation. The lake was visible at different points along the trail, including private platforms that encouraged quiet contemplation.

One of my favorite images that lingers in my mind was walking through thick tussock grasses growing up both sides of the boardwalk as we crossed a bog. Soft billowy grasses blowing in the wind were taller than me, and the wooden boardwalk curved among them like a snake in the grass. I slowed my pace to appreciate the scene taking in the uniqueness of this peaceful place. I intended to photograph it on the return trip, before I realized the trail was a loop.

Halfway around the lake we reached the platform of Reflection Island, THE photo spot. Forested trees framed the scenic lake but majestic snow-covered Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman were hiding behind clouds -— not reflecting in the water. Ah, all for naught? No, because despite the missing view the journey was worthwhile. As is often true in life.

We used a variety of transportation traveling through New Zealand, but the only bus service that has earned a separate journal entry is Intercity.

While the others (Atomic Shuttle, Kahurangi, Abel Tasman, TrackNet, South Island Connection, Wanaka Connexion) were safe and reliable, they were all VANS.

Vans felt cramped, hot and stuffy. Cheaper, they were often crammed full of backpackers (sniff~ some apparently just finishing a multi-day tramp). Yes, we met lots of interesting people -– as you are pragmatically forced to converse with those you are squashed next too -– but sometimes the constant idle chatter was tiresome, repeating answers to the same questions on your upteenth bus ride.

And then there's nausea. Normally not one to get car sick, I was surprised the number of times I felt ill. Oh, the absolute worst was the ride from Blenheim to Kaikoura –- zounds, take the train, take the train!! I guess I'm not used to zipping around roller-coaster terrain in a van. Or sitting that close to someone with garlic breath and egocentric tangential verbosity!

Our first Intercity experience was traveling from Fox village to Wanaka. The bus picked us up in front of the grocery store at 8:45am. CUSHY, oversized seats had large picture windows, privacy from others and even a television above the aisle. Ahhh, we were free to read, nap, relax, whatever . . . without feeling guilty about not conversing.

All Intercity buses have scheduled tea stops and commentary about the passing landscape. (The stops add up to an hour on routes compared to van shuttles, which in contrast simply stop at a gas station if someone yells out that they gotta pee.) We traveled 40 minutes before our first tea stop at the Salmon Farm Café. Here we had 25 minutes to order breakfast choosing from salmon quiche, salmon and brie pies, salmon . . . you get the picture. The food was delicious and the setting beautiful, cantilevered over four salmon pools in the woods. My salmon/egg croissant (NZ$6.50) was the best breakfast I ate in NZ.

Midway through the trip, our driver gave us the option of traveling by Haast Riverboat Safari (NZ$75) for an hour before meeting up with the bus again downstream. Cool! Only one other lady joined me. Partially enclosed in a jetboat, we skimmed along the wide flat aquamarine river appreciating the spectacular scenery and fresh air. Waterfalls were everywhere. Harris, a 1,000 ft. waterfall beginning and ending in the middle of a 4,000 ft. green mountain was the largest among hundreds of ribbons cascading down velvety green mountains in Waterfall Alley. The jetboat careened around rocks and branches in a somewhat dizzying zigzag, finishing with the famous 360 degree SPIN. What fun! The trip ended at a rainforest, which we didn't explore as our bus was waiting for us.

What a great way to break up a seven hour bus ride. We arrived in Wanaka at 2:45pm happy and rested.