Day 9 (Mar 14, 2013): Drive from Arrowtown to Franz Josef Glacier

The Quick Facts:

* Made the long drive from Arrowtown to Franz Josef Glacier
* Several scenic stopping points
* Relaxed at the Franz Josef Glacier Hot Pools
* Stayed at Montrose Backpackers – definitely our least favorite hostel to date but we did make a good dinner

The Good:

* Picturesque spots along the drive
* Franz Josef Glacier Hot Pools are a must (yes, this is germophobe Andy Donaldson saying this)

The Bad:

* Not sure if there are good hostel accommodations in Franz Josef – might be better bet to upgrade to one of the hotel options instead

Today we made the ~5 hour drive from Arrowtown to Franz Josef Glacier (which is our first stop on the west coast of New Zealand).  We stopped at a few places along the way, including Lake Hawea

 And Knights Point (that is the Tasman Sea – kind of looks like the PCH coastline eh?)

 And here's a picture of another picture being taken...

 

We finally arrived at Franz Josef Glacier and will hike their tomorrow.  We did hit up the hot springs in town which felt great before making dinner and going to bed.

Follow me on Twitter at @adonaldson1214