From Grads to Nomads

Our hike was a fantastic experience, please read the posting below to hear all about it and how it went! After we finished the hike yesterday, we stopped in the only cafe in Marahau, the small town where the hike began for a real meal before driving to Greymouth on the west coast, about 4 hours away. The drive was very scenic and when we pulled into Greymouth, we suddenly found out that almost all accommodation was booked, due to some car rally or show or something. We ended up finding this gorgeous brand new (5 weeks old) motel which was more like a fancy hotel done up motel style, where we had separate bedrooms and a whole kitchen and living room!! It was pretty much the last room in town, and we beat a family to it by about 3 minutes. When we were checking in, I got asked if we prefer "blue or green milk". I stared blankly at the woman until she explained that is how they refer to skim and whole milk! We enjoyed the first shower in 6 days and brought in pizza and a movie last night! Today we drove to the glacier, and we just finished a 2 hour hike to the base of it and back, you can see the interesting sign at the base. It is an incredible glacial valley, with lush growth and waterfalls all around you as you stare up at the glacier, which is also the world's steepest glacier. It is just stunning, and here is an interesting fact....it moves at a rate of 1 meter per day, either retreating or advancing. We are here for the night, in a great hostel with our OWN bathroom, and then tomorrow we finally head to Queenstown.