For our next stop, we returned to the village of Franz Josef, where we had stayed for two weeks back in May when Jeremy helped out with the kiwi birds. In fact, this would be our fourth visit to Franz Josef in Glacier Country.
Heading to Franz
It was a beautiful day when we set out from Westport to Franz, where we set up in a two-bedroom self-contained unit at the Glacier View Motel. Taking advantage of the weather, we left the motel immediately and had a walk to see the glacier. Clear skies are a rare treat on the West Coast.
Franz Josef Glacier
Falls near the glacier
Sir Edmund Hillary camper van at
Franz Josef Glacier parking area
Franz Josef Glacier parking area
Through the bedroom window after dinner, I watched the sun go down and the stars come out. The points of the Southern Cross appeared above snow-topped mountains. Once it was fully dark, we got the baby out of bed and drove to a nearby trail to listen and look for kiwi birds. The four of us started up the chilly black pathway. However, Jeremy--thinking the baby would get cold or, more importantly, would cry and scare the kiwis--decided to take Kaaj back to the car. Howard and I continued silently along the path using the faint light of Jeremy's headlamp.
At the top of the hill, the trail came out of the trees and ended at a wooden platform. By the light of the moon, we could see snowy mountains to one side and the shimmering sea to the other. Morepork owls called to each other in the woods below, but, after listening carefully for several minutes, we did not hear any kiwis. Returning to the parking lot, we found Jeremy gone--presumably to calm the baby to sleep in the car. While waiting for him to return, a man came up to us in the parking lot. He turned out to be a kiwi guide, just finishing with his tour group for the night. He said they'd seen one kiwi, and he explained where we could find him. With fresh hope, Howard and I headed down a different trail, following the guide's instructions. We searched carefully, but the kiwi remained in hiding, and we finally returned to the parking lot.
The next morning, Jeremy had a text message from Ieuan--the DOC ranger he'd worked with back in May--asking if he'd like to work for the day. So Ieuan and his partner Anna picked up Jeremy at the motel.
Ieuan trying to extract a kiwi chick from a log
Meanwhile, Howard, Kaaj, and I went out for our own day of sight-seeing. I first drove Howard past the infamous Forks Bach where we had stayed for two weeks, then over to the little village of Okarito and for a walk along the beach. From there, we drove over to see Fox Glacier. The sky was gray and starting to sprinkle, but we persisted in taking a walk. I put Kaaj in the front-pack carrier under my raincoat, with just his head poking out the top of my zipper. Then I put the carrier rain fly over his head to make him a rain hood. He slept--warm, dry, and comfortable--during the walk.
The next day, our last day, we enjoyed a special treat. Ieuan and Anna invited us, along with her mother and aunt, for a VIP viewing of kiwi eggs and chicks at the wildlife center in town. We saw three different chicks. We also watched the ranger check one of the eggs. She put the egg on a table and gave a kiwi call. The egg wiggled in response!
Kiwi chick
Afterward, we all enjoyed coffee and apple turnovers in the lounge. We parted from the others, and the four of us walked into town and visited some sights we'd never seen in our three previous trips to Franz, including the small Catholic church, the historic tramping hut behind the DOC visitor center, the old Anglican church, and a trail through the woods.
Our Lady of the Alps
Historic tramping hut
Washing station in the hut
St. James Anglican
Later in the afternoon, we headed to Okarito for some bird watching. We enjoyed walking along the curved wooden boardwalk over the marsh and a trail through the forest. Then Jeremy spent some time wandering across the tidal flats looking for a bittern, while Howard, Kaaj, and I explored the lagoon shores.
Local fisherman, Okarito Lagoon
For dinner, we picked up a pizza in town, which featured chunks of mutton, but we were not very impressed. In the morning, we met Ieuan and Anna for coffee and said good-bye.
Thus concluded our fourth trip to Franz Josef--as Jeremy calls it, "our home away from home." I'm sure we'll find our way back some day, at least one more time.
Kiwi Xing
