After I've unfortunately fallen in love with the Alps, I'm about 100% (does that work?) Behind my schedule (I've booked a continuation flight a long time ago).
So now fix a few miles, not without collecting the highlights on the way:
Off to the west coast. The Franz Josef Glacier is the most famous and for many of New Zealand's most impressive glaciers. Unfortunately it has been shrinking since 2008, it still reaches down to 300 meters above sea level and is only 20 km away from the sea. Here I was only 20km from Hooker Lake on the other side of Mount Cook, where I was two weeks earlier ... but barely under 8 hours by car.
Then up the west coast until Punakaiki. The place is known for its "Pancake Rocks" and as a springboard for the Paparoa National Park. This is an exciting limestone landscape with gorges, caves and, for example, something like the "Ballroom overhang", a really impressive overhang, in which not only people, but also trees have space. During the hike I had to cross the Fox River about 10 times ... What fun! The trail will definitely get 10 out of 10 points in the Entertainment category!
Then we continued across the country to Robert Ridge in Nelson Lakes National Park. A ridge, as it is in the book. Since you can walk along it for miles and always have great views of the surrounding area. I'm up the Pinchgut track to Julius Summit and then back over Paddy's track. It will probably get even more beautiful if you spend a night up in the hut!
Three days in a row three national parks with three great hikes ... Now it's time!
