Summer is alive and well in New Zealand. Kids are out of school. Families are traveling. Holiday parks are full. Ice cream. Camping. Hitchhikers. Lots of swimming.

After spending New Year's in Queenstown, we sobered up, Michelle jumped off a bridge, and then we headed northwest towards one of the only cold areas of New Zealand in summertime - Franz Joseph. Along the way, we made a few pitstops to taste the summer livin' in New Zealand.

Somewhere near Haast, we stopped to admire two lovebirds having a picnic on a lone sandbank.

And as we did, Michelle just happened to catch these crazy Kiwi kids doing backflips...

The quintessential "Summer in New Zealand" shot...

A little later on in the drive, we found a middle-aged man paddle boarding across a lake...

jackson bay haast west coast new zealand

...and an old man fishing for his lunch.

fisherman jackson bay haast west coast new zealand

Consistent with our style, we opted for the scenic detour, choosing to drive an extra hour to a small fish shack in Jackson Bay (freshly-caught crayfish...yes, please!).

The Cray Pot is a little shack at the south end of a long, quiet coastal highway, tucked away at the tip of Jackson Bay. If you don't mind the extra driving, it's a great lunch spot with amazing views and unreal crayfish (not sure I'd opt for the whitebait again - a Kiwi favorite). I know, a 2 hour detour is a little much, but we have a soft spot for fish shacks.

Get the ginger beer too. Awesome!

After a long lunch and longer drive, we finally made it to the Franz Joseph area in one piece. We didn't have much energy left that night, but the next morning, we got an early start and did a few hikes around the local glaciers.

If you're having a hard time seeing the glacier, it's not your fault. You know whose fault it is? GLOBAL F-ING WARMING!

The glacier is melting. Not slowly, fast. Just look at the difference from 2008 to 2012 to the shot below from 2015. That's insane!

I'm not going to go on a rant here, but when you visit places like this, it's inescapable. Glaciers that have been static for thousands of years are melting rapidly. And it's easy to hide from it. Living in a city, you have no exposure. You are sheltered (for now). But when you get out in the world, you see what's really happening with the planet. Spoiler alert...it's not good. There are dramatic changes taking place. There are...dammit, I really didn't want to go on a rant! How did that happen? Okay. I'll calm down.

The following day, we left the Franz Joseph area and headed north towards Abel Tasman National Park. Along the way, we stopped in Punakaiki to check out the famous "Pancake Rocks".

These limestone rocks were formed 30 million years ago by seismic activity, and have been shaped by wind, erosion, and heavy waves over the years.

There is a short loop that winds through the rock formations, stopping at different vantage points. It's definitely worth the stop. Although when I say "worth" I mean time, not money, as almost every natural attraction and hike in New Zealand is free.

More pancakes...

Over and out...

- Stephen