I didn’t sleep much the night after hiking Roy’s peak. The wasp sting that I really didn’t think much of at first burned, itched like crazy, and swelled up around my ankle and lower leg overnight. The morning was nice though as I left to hop a bus to Franz Josef.
The bus ride was longer that it needed to be as it worked in a couple of unnecessary stops that are obviously designed to get passengers to spend money at a café, tourist shop, or even a fruit stand.
Most everyone on the bus was headed to Franz Josef which is a village on the West Coast that sits near the base of a glacier by the same name. The town’s economy is almost entirely based on tourism. The setting is nice amidst lush green temperate rainforest. The Tasman Sea is nearby but you can’t see it from the village. Hotels, café, a few shops, and several tour operators offering helicopter sightseeing trips etc. line a couple of streets.
Upon arrival about half of the bus headed over to an enclave of budget backpacker accommodations. I had a reservation at Chateau Franz for two nights and checked into a single room. The room was located in a cabin like structure called the “Ski Lodge” along with one other single room, a shared living room and shared bathroom. It had character but it was also sort of dark and had a strong musty moldy smell. The room was old and worn but clean.
The Tudor style Chateau Franz looks as if it were originally built in the 1970’s with a few added additions through the years. The place is decorated in a themed fashion with old stuff tacked up for atmosphere but from what I could tell maintenance doesn't appear to be the highest of priorities.
When I checked in there was a discrepancy with the quoted price and the woman checking me in was not the one I made the reservation with. It was only a three dollar difference but the receptionist was making it an issue and she stated she would only honor one night at the price I was originally quoted. I told her I would pay for one night then the other night the next day. That was before I checked out the room. The problem with booking ahead is that at the very least they’ve got you for one night.
Anyway, with swollen lower leg, a bus ride that felt kind of long, smelly room, and deteriorating weather made me wish I hadn’t stopped in Franz Joseph. I debated changing my bus reservation to Nelson for the following day but wasn’t feeling up to back to back long bus rides. I went for a walk.
My leg was bothering me so I went to tourist information and inquired with the young girl working the desk what she knew about New Zealand wasp bites. “Yeah, my friend stepped on a wasp and her whole foot swelled up for days”. “Yes, it itches. You could see a nurse but I don’t think she would really do anything. It’s best to just tough it out”. So, with that issue resolved I returned to the Chateau to cancel my second night. Not a problem. I then went across the street and booked a night at a much nicer hostel named “The Montrose” with a super nice receptionist.
Ironically I slept quite well in the musty accommodation at Chateau Franz. My neighbor in the other room was an Australian, not much older than me, who was motorcycle touring with his mates. He was a really nice guy and spoke in a colorful fashion that Aussie’s tend to be known for. “This place isn’t too flash mate”. He also commented on the smell. There’s a fine line between character and dump. The Chateau Franz has character but really it’s a dump in need of a bulldozer before too long.
Having felt out of sorts the previous day I began the morning with a 45 minute run touring the area. It hadn’t started raining yet so the run went well and I felt good. After that I gathered my things and stored them with the receptionist at the hostel across the street and went for a three hour hike in the rain to catch a glimpse of the foot of Franz Joseph Glacier. Despite rain I quite enjoyed the walk. However, there wasn’t much to see comparatively speaking.
I was able to check into the Montrose hostel at 2 pm. The room was remarkably better and at about the same price, however, it had just been remodeled and redone. Normally that would be great but it had a super strong chemical like smell. I promise you I was not being oversensitive or anything like that. I accepted the room because it was so nice and figured I’d try airing it out. Well, airing it out didn’t help and the smell was actually making me dizzy.
I addressed the issue with the Argentinian manager who turned out to be Mr. customer service extraordinaire. He commented that the smell reminded him of a new pair of tennis shoes. But it was strong. He said he would see what he could do. About 15 minutes later he gave me the option of moving into different room in another building. He offered a small partial refund because the room wasn’t as nice. For me it was perfect. With the rain hammering down I spent the rest of the day relaxing in a room that smelled normal.
I later complimented the manager on how good his customer service skills are and how good the staff is. Tomorrow it’s a 10 ½ hour bus ride to Nelson, my final stop in New Zealand before flying back to Texas.
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