Day 3: The Rob Roy Glacier Hike

Rob Roy Glacier is cool. Much less publicity than Fox and Franz Josef (more on them later), but in some ways cooler. It's a 4-hour hike (or "tramp") roundtrip, lunchtime not included. The hike is billed as moderate, but that's conservative, as the first part is rigorously uphill. All in all, it's stunning.

You start in a serene sheepfield, cut through by a river whose unique blue color is captivating. Then you cross a suspension bridge and head up the hill, overlooking a valley with steeply sloped mountains. Then it's into the very nice forest along a different river, with hints of the many waterfalls and glacier to come. When you come out at the end, it is well worth it. Great place for lunch, but watch out for the Kea birds, which are huge, eagle-like things that try to grab shiny objects like chip bags and cameras.

The hike is about one hour from Wanaka, mostly on unsealed road. The Subaru served us well on that trip, including crossing 8 fords, most with active streams, such as the one depicted here.