Day 8 Thursday

We stopped at Okarito lagoon and were going to kayak, but the workers there said it would be a miserable day for it, so we did a beach/forest loop.  Nothing super exciting, it was nice, but not spectacular.  Took 2.5hours. 

 Next stop was Franz Joseph Glacier.  We did the touristy walk to the base of the glacier (anticlimatic).  But next we hiked Tatare Tunnels!  Now this was spectacular!  It started off on an old mining road (I do.not.like to hike.on roads.)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 But about half way turned into a single track trail and it was perfect (just pretty steep).  It led to a miners tunnel that has ankle deep water running through it that was numbingly cold.

 
  But the best part were the glow worms!  Once we got a fair bit into the tunnel, we were able to walk with no flash light (torch in NZ).  

We walked to the end which opened up outside, then walked back with no light.  It was the best.  No one to tell us how long we could look, if we could take pictures, or take our money.  My favorite activity so far!  

 

It was getting very late and dark, but we drove up Fox Glacier road and took a little peeksie.  Along the road was this runoff with neon yellow/green algae, I'm assuming.  
Did a little souvenir shopping then drove until dark, about 9pm and stayed in a camp ground:  a parking lot, at Lake Parings.  It rained all day.  A steady drizzle.  And stopped about as soon as we parked.  I was looking forward to falling asleep to the litter patter above my head.