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Another beautiful day started with a short trip to Arrowtown, an old gold mining town that has been described as the prettiest town in New Zealand and, having been there, I have to say it's probably an accurate description. For a start it's nestling on the edge of the Remarkable Mountains. The architecture is of a pioneer style that retains an element of charm born from functionality, with many little nooks and crannies. There is even a little cinema with 2 screens, with a capacity of about 45 in one and 14 in the other. The Remarkable Sweet Shop had free tasting of their home made fudge so having sampled some I simply had to purchase their cookies & cream flavour, hocky pocky flavour and apple pie flavour.
We then headed for the mountains, passing through Wanaka where there was a road cycle race, and through the Haast Pass. We stopped at The Gates of Haast, where the road crosses the Haast River, and Thunder Creek Falls, a 90 foot high waterfall into the Haast River. The pass brought us back to the Tasman Sea and a drive down the coast to Fox Glacier.
It was here we boarded a helicopter for a spectacular 40 minute flight along the Franz Josef Glacier, landing on the snow, over Tasman Glacier, alongside Mount Tasman, New Zealand's second highest mountain, and then the highest, Mount Cook. Finally we flew back along the Fox Glacier. The views were truly awe inspiring, and the power of the glaciers was very evident.
With feet back on the ground, we made for Lake Matheson. A beautiful little lake of glacial and, therefore, crystal clear waters which perfectly reflect the surrounding mountains.
By now it was time for dinner in The Last Cafe where I had a tasty rib eye steak and Bro chicken with blue cheese and bacon and we met a lovely Spanish couple who both work as architects in Shanghai.
It now being dark, all 4 of us headed for a short walk up the road into the forest to see the lovely little glowworms, of which there were many.
After another drink with the friendly staff at The Last Cafe, it was time to retire.
Today we drove 365km.
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