30/1
Impeccably timed, this day bought us time in getting us from Fox Glacier to Arthur's Pass without encountering any of the storm/Cyclone Fehi.
Impressive:
The bus driver taking us to Greymouth on Intercity/GreatSights didn't want the bike surcharge payment as long as he didn't have to touch the bicycles. However, he was adamant that the wheels had to come off. It was a bit sketchy loading the bicycles onto the coach luggage area on the traffic side.
The highway between glaciers is only 24km but very lumpy and many fellow bicycle riders complained that the segment cost them half a day.
Franz Joseph glacier was a bit of a mess for the journey; the coach driver visited pretty much every single accommodation in town instead of going to a central point. I don't think it was the best path either.
The coach service was very generous with the number and duration of breaks. There was an extended break at Hokatika which was declared as lunch. The bus driver did a lap of the town. I took the opportunity to buy supplies for dinner, as Arthur's Pass doesn't have much in terms of groceries nor restaurants. I also managed to eat 3/5 of a Hawaiian ciabatta.
I didn't feel all that well on the coach ride, possibly due to the ventilation.
Greymouth coach terminal was a complete clusterf-. There's not much space between coach parks and the coaches need to reverse into the spot. The driver did warn everyone not to get up until the coach engine was switched off and sounded his horn several times during the manoeuvre.
Our connecting shuttle was waiting for us a few metres away, but the luggage was inaccessible. I explained the situation to the shuttle driver and he was understanding. We were only five minutes late in getting underway and had a bike rack on the back of the vehicle. Still, the bikes were a bit squashed from other people's luggage under the coach and my mudguards were a bit off.
The bikes were held in place with elastic cord, which I felt was a bit suss... but they held in the end. I still wasn't feeling great and missed seeing the Otira viaduct.
Accommodation at Arthur's Pass was pretty good. We shared a cottage with an NZ-Canadian family. I let James deal with the social stuff as I had even less social energy than usual.
We did some walks in the evening and bumped into them.
Impeccably timed, this day bought us time in getting us from Fox Glacier to Arthur's Pass without encountering any of the storm/Cyclone Fehi.
Impressive:
About 90 people are stuck in cars between slips near Fox Glacier, and are set to stay there overnight, according the Westland District Council.James did mention that I'm some sort of cycletouring weather good luck charm for him.
Approximately 800 people are stuck in Haast as the town is cut off due to the weather.
Police say they are safe and well and that Civil Defence is the lead.SH6 between Franz Josef and Fox Glacier is also closed due to slips and downed power lines.There are reports of people trapped in the middle of the slips and work is underway to clear the road at both ends.
The bus driver taking us to Greymouth on Intercity/GreatSights didn't want the bike surcharge payment as long as he didn't have to touch the bicycles. However, he was adamant that the wheels had to come off. It was a bit sketchy loading the bicycles onto the coach luggage area on the traffic side.
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| SH6 switchbacks between glaciers |
Franz Joseph glacier was a bit of a mess for the journey; the coach driver visited pretty much every single accommodation in town instead of going to a central point. I don't think it was the best path either.
The coach service was very generous with the number and duration of breaks. There was an extended break at Hokatika which was declared as lunch. The bus driver did a lap of the town. I took the opportunity to buy supplies for dinner, as Arthur's Pass doesn't have much in terms of groceries nor restaurants. I also managed to eat 3/5 of a Hawaiian ciabatta.
I didn't feel all that well on the coach ride, possibly due to the ventilation.
Greymouth coach terminal was a complete clusterf-. There's not much space between coach parks and the coaches need to reverse into the spot. The driver did warn everyone not to get up until the coach engine was switched off and sounded his horn several times during the manoeuvre.
Our connecting shuttle was waiting for us a few metres away, but the luggage was inaccessible. I explained the situation to the shuttle driver and he was understanding. We were only five minutes late in getting underway and had a bike rack on the back of the vehicle. Still, the bikes were a bit squashed from other people's luggage under the coach and my mudguards were a bit off.
The bikes were held in place with elastic cord, which I felt was a bit suss... but they held in the end. I still wasn't feeling great and missed seeing the Otira viaduct.
Accommodation at Arthur's Pass was pretty good. We shared a cottage with an NZ-Canadian family. I let James deal with the social stuff as I had even less social energy than usual.
We did some walks in the evening and bumped into them.
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