Day 18 - Franz Josef to Wanaka - Money Troubles

On day 18 I was as stiff as I had been after I crossed the Tongariro, and it didn't help that there were 2 Magic buses, and a lot of confusion as to where each person's luggage would go. Noirin, Annette and I decided that we should get on the second bus, because the driver was completely filling up the first bus before sending people back, and we would probably get more space on the second bus. I was right, but the seats were really uncomfortable bench seats. I managed to finally position myself so I wasn't in too much pain, and we were off. We passed through Fox Glacier early in the day and stopped to pick up some folks at the YHA. The first proper stop was Lake Matheson, also known as 'mirror lake', and it was the place of a thousand postcards, since everywhere you go in New Zealand there will be a postcard with this lake on it. When I got to the lookout, it was easy to see why. It was truly breathtaking, with the mountains being reflected perfectly in the still lake surface. You should see the photos I took. We then continued on our way and we went for a while until we reached a small cafe. Obviously it wasn't expecting such a large group, and the queues for food were ridiculous. I was starving, and thankfully I noticed a small shop next door, so I got a snack lunch of crackers and fruit chutney. It was really nice, too. After everyone had been fed and herded back onto the buses we were on the way again, and the next port of call was a lookout over the sea. It was a really nice view, and we had time to take some pictures and visit the ubiquitous long drop toilets before heading on our way, next stop Wanaka. It was at this stage in the trip that the activity sheet came round for Queenstown, and I decided to check my bank balance by text before signing up for anything. Shortly afterward I discovered just how bad things were in the land of bank. I had a grand total of just over $300 in my bank. Not good. I had to decide between going straight to Queenstown or trying to find a job in Wanaka. I decided that my money would probably go further in Wanaka, and I decided to stop here. I checked into the YHA, and went out to look for work, not that there was much that present day. I had a very cheap (and bad tasting) meal of tuna and rice, and went to bed feeling very worried and miserable.