Day 13 – Fox, Franz and Fast Roads

A warm night in the tent and we woke to a dark, overcast morning. True to West Coast form, the cloud eventually burnt off and it turned into another magnificent autumn day



Remarkably, conditions have been very calm over here. Apart from a slight headwind late in the day, it was close to perfect riding.

After an easier day yesterday, we were up early and on the road quickly.

The riding today felt very different. After days of constant climbing and descending, the road flattened out considerably as we headed toward Fox Glacier.

Gone were the tight mountain roads with sheer drops and whitewater rivers. In their place, a wide valley opened up with softer, rolling hills — almost gentle by comparison.

Some areas have been cleared for farming, mainly cattle, but where the bush remains it closes in around the road — dense ferns and beech forest lining the way.

The flatter terrain showed in the numbers. After spending much of the past week riding closer to 10 km/h, we were now comfortably pushing along nearer to 20 km/h.

As we approached Fox Township, we were treated to a distant view of Aoraki / Mount Cook — the first time we’ve seen it since Lake Pukaki nearly a week ago - a warm and humid 25 degrees down here, alpine conditions up there.

Junk photo, but up there somewhere is Mount Cook.

Not long after, the glaciers themselves came into view as we rolled toward Franz Joseph.

We stopped at Bruce Bay earlier for coffee and an “American” hot dog. Curious about the difference, I asked the owner what made it American.

“Nothing,” he said.

With a grin, he said they just started calling them that, and more Americans began stopping in to buy one.

A big lunch of chicken tenders and chips at Fox meant a lighter dinner tonight.

Between Fox and Franz Joseph there were three short, sharp climbs, but compared to the earlier climbs on this trip, they felt manageable.

On our itinerary we had marked six “red days” for climbing — this was the fifth. It also felt like the easiest, which probably says something about being a bit fitter… and possibly a bit lighter.

We finished the day at a Top 10 holiday park in Franz Joseph, and both of us are feeling strong heading into tomorrow.

The plan is to keep pushing while the weather holds. Off to Ross tomorrow.

Day Summary

Route: Lake Paringa → Fox Glacier → Franz Joseph
Distance: 96 km
Riding Time: 5 hr 55 min
Climbing: 926 m
Weather: Overcast early, clearing to fine
Best moment: First view of Aoraki / Mount Cook

Ride Links

Paringa → Fox
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/22233128525

Fox → Franz Joseph
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/22233179151

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