Becky Upside-Down: Spring Break, Part III

Barrytown is legendary among Stray-goers for its wild parties. If you know me at all, however, you'll understand why my experience in Barrytown can be best summed up in one picture:

As a non-partier, Barrytown was a little too small, a little too empty, a little too far out of the way. It had a beach, though, and I got some rad serpentine and quartz bits (because I am a nerd and I like rocks). When the tides are right, some great greenstone (nephrite jade, for my fellow rock nerds) can be found there.

Sheep trees!

We stopped at a lake on the way out of Barrytown. Our bus driver tried to convince us there were dolphins in it. Much like the weka that wasn't a kiwi, the lake appeared to lack dolphins.

And then we went to Franz Josef Glacier. Which is hidden behind a temperate rainforest. I am still absolutely not kidding.

This is real. Seriously.

Oh, and there were waterfalls all along the valley that the glacier had carved.

Loads of waterfalls.

The sprawling beast itself.

If you ever go to Franz Josef, stay at Montrose Backpackers. They had free internet, great facilities, and the best customer service of any hostel we stayed at this trip.

The next day, we all piled back onto the bus and headed toward Queenstown, with a few stops along the way. The weather finally turned on us and it seemed that the last days of our trip were fated to be spent soggy and wet.