Blip bear and friend in the rainforest.

Here he is the intrepid traveller on his Kiwi adventure. Today I met up with Roger of Tussock Tales and Ann - Cycling Granny - in the Cheeky Monkey cafe in Wanaka for coffee. Most importantly they handed over Blip bear and his Kiwi friend.
It was lovely to meet them both but sadly Tussock himself was at home with the Bossess.

A great start to the day and an added bonus to our Kiwi holiday.

We had a long day ahead of us as we left the lovely sparkling lakes of Wanaka and Hawea
and dropped down through the Gates of Haast into the ravine formed by the River Haast. At the bottom it opens into a flat river basin and then we were at the coast.

This is Westland and the West coast (or wet coast) of south New Zealand. We were at the Tasman sea and inland is the rainforest we first saw in the Milford Sound, a little further south. The rainforest is magical. Tall pines, Beech trees ( red, silver and mountain at different levels) and mostly the magnificent New Zealand Fern. At the road side level there are ordinary ferns and the NZ flax amongst others. Lots of lichens and mosses which help to hold the soil together and prevent it being washed away.

Following the coast north we arrived in the Glacier region and here we are staying for 2 nights in, appropriately, a tree hut in the Rainforest Retreat.

Blip bear and Kiwi are sitting on our deck beneath the NZ ferns.

Hoping to see the glacier(s) tomorrow, weather permitting.