NZ Roadtrip: 5. Franz Josef the glacier and a recipe for jalfrezi

The Southern Alps runs north to south along the length of New Zealand's South Island. To the east lies the great plains of Canterbury while on the west are some of the highest elevations of the Alps. Aroki or Mount Cook is the highest peak. There are more than 300 glaciers in this range and we were looking for Franz Josef.

Plaque at Crown Range summit

The view from Crown Range Road. Can you see the cars in the 2nd pic?

From Queenstown, we drove up the Crown Range Road. This road is definitely not for the faint-hearted - it's the highest main road in South Island with several zig-zags and a steep drive to the top, designed to keep your heart booming in your chest! Some of the slopes still had patches of ice and mist hung heavy in the air though the view from the top was spectacular.

Makarora Country Cafe

Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka are 2 glacial lakes that lie beside each other on the way to the tiny town of Makarora. What is it about lakes in New Zealand? Viewing areas have been built along the shoulders of the roads just so you pull off and take in the breathtaking views. We stopped at the Makarora Country Cafe for coffee. It's a cheerful place and seems to be a popular pitstop for tour groups. The walls of the cafe had a collection of tools, car license plates and flags. We were served by the owner, a friendly woman who asked us where we were from. She told us she loved travelling and she would be visiting India again for another trip.

Tasman Sea

The drive up the Haast Pass was scenic, the drive down more so as we followed the course of the Haast river and ended up somewhat north of Jackson Bay for one last, lingering look of the Tasman Sea before driving through pastoral countryside.
 

Which way to Franz Josef?

Soon enough, signboards announced the entry to Glacier Country. We could see mountains ahead, their peaks covered with snow and there was a decided nip in the air. Franz Josef village came into view, the main road runs through it; to one side are the offices of the adventure tour companies.

Sheep and alpacas at Glenfern Villas. Mama sheep didn't trust us 1 bit but the alpacas were ...err...friendly - they do spit!

Glenfern Villas, 3 km away from the village was where we were staying for the next 3 days. The weather at Franz Josef is quite unpredictable and so we could not take any chances. Along the driveway, there were sheep and alpacas in their pens. The owners handed over a paper bag with some bites for the alpacas. The have cute teddy bear faces but they spit!

Kingtiger serves superb food - tofu with mixed veg; chicken jalfrezi; the Indian starter platter 

Back at the village, we went to the tour office to check out what we needed for the next day's flight to the glacier then to the supermarket to pick up milk, eggs and other essentials.

We were hungry and joked about having hot and crisp masala dosas when we saw Kingtiger and decided to step in for dinner. At the entrance were 2 Chinese warrior-like statues. Inside, there were red lamps and the tables had little lights on them. Shelves were filled with a collection of Feng Shui statues and even a small model of the Taj Mahal. A young lady came to take our order. She spoke in a strong Indian accent and we learnt that she was from Delhi - well, fancy that! There was plenty of Asian and Indian stuff on the menu but no dosa - yes, we asked! But they did have a platter of Indian starters like onion bhajji, tandoori mushrooms and even a giant samosa with tamarind chutney. Very yummy too! (Kingtiger's delish chicken jalfreizi is the inspiration for the recipe in this post.)

Facts and figures about the glacier walk

The next morning, we were dressed and ready to meet the glacier. My nephew and I were going for a snow landing while my brother and sister in law's plans included a heli-hike. The glacier, however, was not ready for us - the rains and cloud cover put paid to our plans; all flights for the day were cancelled. How disappointing because this was to be the highlight of the trip and we were leaving the next morning.

People on the slopes; the glacier is in the distance 

 Franz Josef glacier in retreat; stepping over a stream whose edges have been gouged out by the glacier

The formation of a glacier; waterfalls

But what's a bit of rain for people like us who have lived through monsoons? If we couldn't reach the top, we sure were going to see it from the base!

Sedimentary layers on a pebble

The Glacier Park pathway is a short drive away from town and it looked as if everyone else had the same idea - the pathway was full of people. Steep and rocky in some places, the sight of the river of ice in the distance kept us going. Named after the Austrian emperor, FJG is 2700 metres high and the base is a scant 20 kilometers from the Tasman Sea. Currently in retreat, pictures taken years earlier showed the ice reaching all the way to the base. The sides of the riverbed are exposed, gouged out by the glacier as it advanced and retreated over millions of years, revealing the layers that made up the rocks, the pressure exerted on them by that mass of ice must have been so enormous. We picked up a few pebbles and could see the layers, as if someone had painstakingly stuck them all together! Rockfalls are a common occurrence and dangerous paths are cordoned off.

Our blue chopper; FJ township and the river; the glacier 

Back at the villa, my brother spoke with the owner who happened to have a friend who was a pilot with a chopper. We were going to get one more shot at a glacier landing! The weather the next morning was perfect - blue skies all around. The company sent around a car to pick us up and in 15 minutes, we reached a tiny helipad when a tiny, bright blue chopper from GCH landed in front of us.

Six of us hopped on board and when we were strapped in and headsets on, the pilot lifted off. The little chopper was like a dragonfly, flitting from side to side and the view of the ground was stunning. It turned around and suddenly, we were looking at a sheer wall of ice - were we going to bang into it? No, still flitting, the chopper rose higher and higher. Snow covered peaks were all we could see and yet we kept going higher. We could identify the part of the glacier that we had seen from the ground the previous day.

Top of the glacier

Our pilot; glacial wilderness

Views from the glacier

With my family and that "top of the world" feeling

A few minutes later, we could see a vast sheet of ice and a red flag fluttering. A gentle touchdown and we scrambled out on to the hard ice, breathing in great lungfuls of the crisp, clean air. The ice was packed so tight that a bit of scraping could dislodge only a few crystals. What a surreal scene - that shade of blue of the sky, the pristine white of the ice, the black rocks covered in snow and the sun shining down. It was quiet, calm and peaceful and those 15 minutes we spent there went by in a blur. Little wonder some people leave everything to go live in the mountains.

A crack on the ice; glaciers after all, are rivers of moving ice

The jalfrezi at Kingtiger was delicious and I managed to fish out a recipe that was given to me ages ago. Here goes:

Chicken Jalfrezi

Ingredients
750 gm boneless chicken cubes
2 onions
4 green chillies, sliced
1 green capsicum
6 cloves garlic
1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste
6 tomatoes, blanched and pureed 
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon nigella seeds 
Salt 
Oil 
Chopped coriander leaves

Method
Marinate the chicken with salt, coriander, chilli, cumin and turmeric powders, keep aside for half an hour.
Finely dice 1½ onions and cut the capsicum into large squares.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan, add in the nigella seeds and then the finely diced onions.
When the onions are glassy, stir in the ginger garlic paste.
Add the tomato puree and when it comes to a boil, cover with the lid and let it simmer.
In the meantime, heat another pan with a little oil.
Sauté the chicken till browned on all sides, scoop out and place in the tomato-onion mix and let it cook till done.
Heat a little more oil, chop the remaining onion into large dices and sauté along with the capsicum.
Transfer the chicken and gravy into the onion-capsicum mix, mix well and check seasoning.
Stir through the chopped coriander leaves.
Goes well with naan, roti or rice.

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NZ Roadtrip: 4. Queenstown and a recipe for teriyaki chicken

Our drive from Te Anau to the Alpine resort town of Queenstown took us along the zig-zag contours of Lake Wakatipu.

According to Māori legend, Manata, the daughter of a chief went missing one day. While searching for her, they saw the huge footprints of the evil giant, Matau. The chief realised that the giant had taken away his daughter and he promised his men that he would marry her off to whomsoever brought her back. Matakauri, a village boy was the sole volunteer as he was in love with Manata. He found the giant fast asleep while his beloved was tied to a thorn bush; he used his pounamu adze to break the bonds that held her but finally it was her tears that melted away the magical bonds. The chief kept his word and had them married but Matakauri knew that one day, the giant would wake up and destroy the tribe so he decided to kill the giant. As the giant slept, his knees drawn up and body wrapped around the hills and mountains, Matakauri set fire to the undergrowth he rested on and as his body burned and sank into the ground, it created a long, deep hole that filled up with water from the rains. It's said that the giant's heart still beats because the waters of the lake rise and fall a few inches every half an hour or so!!

View of the lake; Queenstown Golf Course abuts on the lake

Queenstown is the adventure capital of New Zealand. Bungy jumping, jet boating, ziplining, cycling, mountain biking - if you're an adrenaline junkie, it's the place to be. In winter, it's all about skiing on the nearby mountain range called the Remarkables. It is a beautiful town with steep roads, homes with pretty gardens, shops selling outdoor clothing, camping equipment and souvenirs and plenty of restaurants and pubs. Adventure tourism is big business here.

A rainbow to complete the picture!

Our Airbnb home

Breakfast with a view

We were spending 3 days in Queenstown where we didn't have to wake up early and load up the car. Martin was the the host of our beautiful and well-maintained Airbnb. French windows led out to a deck which looked over Queenstown's golf course and afforded stunning views of the lake and the surrounding mountains. We would breakfast while watching jetboats speed across the water and were inspired enough to find out property prices!!

Cherry blossoms in the middle of town; a holly bush

The gondolas on the way to Bob's Peak

It was cold but the perfect weather for us to walk around the town a bit and then hop onto the gondola to Bob's Peak. The Skyline Gondola, the steepest cable car system in the southern hemisphere lifted us high above the tall trees that grew on the hillsides and all the way to the top of the hill. The view from there of the town, the lake and the spread of the surrounding mountains is simply spectacular. Standing 450 metres above, we watched people of many nationalities speaking different languages doing the one thing that defines us as humans - taking selfies! We did too!! But we also saw the indomitable spirit that some people possess - there was a family that brought a wheelchair-bound lady to enjoy the view.
Bungy jumpers jumped off the tower beside us and luge carts trundled by below. Paragliders flew across the skies and people who brought their mountain bikes up in the gondolas cruised on them down the slopes.

Kiwi Haka performer

There was a Kiwi Haka show that showcases Māori culture in the little theatre in the complex. Māori performers first determine that we have come as friends. We are then welcomed solemnly and ceremoniously with a prayer and a song with actions where they tell us of how their ancestors came to be. The ladies in the audience were invited on the stage where the women taught us a dance with the poi (a kind of woollen ball). After that, it was the turn of the men to go up on stage where they were taught a series of movements with much stamping of feet, sticking out the eyes and tongue and shouting, a throwback to the Māori warrior traditions.

At the Queenstown Creative Market

 Luckily, the next day was a Saturday as every Saturday, the waterfront is the setting for the Queenstown Creative Arts & Crafts Market. Several people had made themselves comfortable on the grass and there was a band playing live music. Talented local artists and artisans come to this space to sell their work. There are stalls selling jewellery, hand-blown glass, handmade soaps. pottery, woollens, even paintings. Charlie's stall had quite a few wooden platters, trays and chopping boards. The board I chose was made of 2 kinds of native wood - rimu and matai. Charlie told us that we must have passed many rimu trees on our journey and described them as tall, skinny trees with a bunch of leaves on the top. He also gave me a few tips on maintaining my new board!

Rimu trees, Charlie & me

The waterfront

At Kappa - miso & sake; bento box; sushi

Queenstown restaurants serve food from all over - from pub fare to pies, burgers and sandwiches, Chinese, Indian, Cuban and Asian. Lunch was at Kappa Japanese restaurant where we had bento boxes consisting of miso soup, prawn tempura and the freshest salmon & tuna sushi and salmon sashimi. With sake, of course!

Dry Kiwi humour on a peppery, medium dry white!

New Zealand is well known for wines, and though we did not pass any winery, supermarkets stock some really good brands.

Sunset over the lake with the Remarkables standing as sentinels

Teriyaki sauce is made with 4 ingredients - Japanese soya sauce, mirin, ginger and sugar. The meat is marinated in the sauce and then grilled. Using a bottled sauce cuts all that work down by half and here's my recipe:

Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients

400 gm boneless chicken thighs
4 tablespoons Teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

Freshly ground pepper and salt if needed
Slices of fresh ginger
Toasted sesame seeds

Oil for greasing the grill

Grilled chicken

Method

Mix Teriyaki sauce, dark soya sauce, sugar, pepper and ginger slices. Add a little salt only if necessary. 

Marinate the chicken in this mix for about 4 hours.

Heat and lightly grease a grill pan and place the meat on it. 
Discard the ginger slices; save the remaining marinade.

When one side is done, turn the pieces around and cook till the chicken is done. It should take all of 12 - 15 minutes and the juices should run clear.

Remove the chicken, deglaze the pan with a little water, remaining marinade and add the sesame seeds, 
Slice the chicken and when the pan juices have thickened, pour over the chicken. 
Best served with steamed rice or with Chinese pancakes. 

* Beef or pork can also be used instead of chicken. If you do, flatten the pieces with a meat mallet before marinating them.

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NZ Roadtrip: 3. Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound and pan-fried Chinese pancakes

Southwest of New Zealand is the small town of Te Anau. The town gets its name from the similarly named lake beside it, the largest glacial lake in South Island. Lying north to south, Lake Te Anau is the gateway to the Fiordland National Park, a World Heritage Area and the home of the Sounds. A Sound, technically a fiord (that's how it's spelt in NZ), is a large, deep body of water that was formed when a glacier slid down the side of a mountain and in the process, carved out a valley, allowing water from the sea to flood the space. Near-vertical sides of the surrounding mountains that reach down all the way to the floor of the valley thus formed are characteristics of a Sound.

We were booked at the Lakeside Motel and Apartments. Our apartment faced the incredibly blue waters of the lake, a lone boat sailed on the calm water. A little black lamb was tied to a post in the yard and we had just enough time to pat its head and take a few pics before leaving our luggage at the reception counter. We had a 120 kilometer drive ahead of us to Piopiotahi (a piopio is a bird that is now extinct) for the Mitre Peak cruise to Milford Sound, named after Milford Haven in Wales. The drive through Fiordland roads was scenic as well as dramatic - steep hills, a Chasm, valleys, gushing rivers and waterfalls that could be seen between the trees. We had a bit of a wait at the Homer Tunnel to allow traffic from the other side to pass.

Mitre Peak

At the Milford Sound Visitor's Centre, we boarded the boat for a 2 hour ride around the Sound. Perhaps the most famous elevation of Milford Sound is Mitre Peak. The movement of glaciers during the Ice Age carved out these magnificent fiords and the towering cliffs that rise dramatically are truly a sight. Some of the peaks are so high that even if you crane your neck, you can't quite see the top.

Milford Sound

It rains quite often in the Sound and with the biting cold winds, it was tempting to sit in the enclosed cabin and look out of the windows. But then, we would have missed our close ups with Elephant Rock, Lion Mountain, the rainbow across Bridal Veil Falls, the spectacle of water cascading down Bowen Falls (even higher than the Niagara Falls) and Stirling Falls where the water drops from a U-shaped hanging valley. We cruised right up to the where the Sound meets the Tasman Sea before slowing down near Seal Rock to watch a herd of seals sunning themselves. Harrison Cove is where The Milford Sound Discovery Centre is located. Under the crystal clear water is the floating undersea observatory.

Mitre Peak; the jetty; Milford Sound Discovery Centre; Elephant Rock; rainbow across  Bridal Veil Falls; Southern fur seals sunning themselves

It was late in the evening when we returned to Te Anau. After the freezing cold of the Sound, the apartment was a sanctuary of warmth.

Our 4-legged friend; the lakeside apartment

The next morning, we said goodbye to the little black lamb, loaded the luggage into the car and drove the short distance to the Te Anau Visitor's Centre to board the Real Journeys boat for a ride across Lake Manapouri.

Manapouri Power Station

At Manapouri, it was a coach that took us over the Wilmot Pass, the most expensive road in New Zealand and the only one not connected to any other road network. As we set out, we could see the hydroelectric power station that supplies power to a nearby aluminium smelter. Our driver explained the sights, history and the kinds of wildlife that inhabit the sub-alpine Pass region. We saw several traps along the sides of the road; possums are disliked with a vengeance in South Island because they have have been responsible for the decimation of many native bird species that used to inhabit the dense rainforests.

Ship-shape Fiordland Navigator

The Fiordland Navigator was waiting for us at Deep Cove for an overnight cruise to Doubtful Sound. It's a really big boat with a crew that was good at multitasking. We were a group of 70 from various parts of the world. After we were shown our cabins below deck where we left our bags, we came back up to go around the boat. Coffee, tea and hot chocolate are always available and alcohol and snacks are sold at the bar.

The view from the bow; a collection of rocks from the Sound

Kayaks and the tender boat

Inside the Fiordland Navigator - our quad-share bunk compartment; the dining/sitting area 

Meals on board - breakfast; cheese & crackers; soup; dessert

The crew then organised water activities  for the passengers. Adventure sports enthusiasts got into kayaks and rowed around while a tender boat was lowered into the water and some passengers got in for a quick sail-about. Three of the most sporty guys dived from the boat's railings into the freezing waters for a bit of a swim. Soon, the crew herded everyone back into the Navigator and then it was time for hot soup and bread.

The last islands outside Doubtful Sound and the Tasman Sea beyond 

Wondering how Doubtful Sound got its name? Way back in 1770, Captain Cook was sailing in the area and saw the mouth of the fiord. He named it Doubtful Harbour as he was unsure if he would be able to navigate out if he entered it - talk of missed opportunities! Later, men who hunted whales and seals in the area renamed it Doubtful Sound.

The still and silent Sound

The second largest of the fiords and the deepest, it is a pristine, misty, beautiful yet untamed environment where it rains one minute and the sun shines bright the next. The trees that cover the hills are in all shades of green, the water that meets the shore is stained dark from the tannins of the forest floor. Below it is the salt water of the sea and the 2 layers do not mix, you cannot see into the depths. The waters of the Sound are calm and still in some places but as you get closer to the Tasman Sea, there are waves and swells. We did hope to encounter fur seals but they were not around that day. If you have ever wondered what our planet looked like millions of years ago, this part of New Zealand will have some of the answers. The conservation of this environment is fiercely guarded; in fact, the only way to Doubtful Sound is either through the Pass or by the sea.

At night, the boat dropped anchor and the engines became silent. After a deliciously hot meal, all the passengers met up at the forward saloon for a power point presentation about the Sound and a geography lesson on glaciers. After it was over and as we made our way below deck, a look out of the windows revealed that except for the lights of the boat, the only other light was from the stars...

Snow-topped mountains; the closest we got to an island

The sound of the engines woke us up in the morning. After breakfast, we braved the light drizzle and stood on the deck. At one point, the engines were switched off again, the Captain told us all to be very quiet so we could hear the sound of the birds and distant waterfalls.

View of Doubtful Sound from the top of Wilmot Pass

All too soon, we were back at Deep Cove and back in the coach, at the end of a journey to one of the most magical, raw and unspoiled regions of the earth.

This time, it's a recipe for pan-fried Chinese pancakes with spring onions as we ended our day at a Chinese restaurant.

Pan-fried Chinese pancakes

Ingredients
120 gm plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 teaspoon 5-spice powder
1/2 cup finely chopped spring onions
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Extra flour

Method
Sift together flour and salt into a bowl.
Add the boiling water; mix with a wooden spoon till cool enough to handle.
Knead till the dough is smooth, keep covered for about 30 minutes.
Mix the oils together.
Roll out the dough into an 8"x 16".
Brush the top with the oil mix, sprinkle over 5-spice powder followed by the spring onions.
Roll up into a tight roll, slice into 8.

Press each slice between the palms, roll out into 4" discs, sprinkle some of the sesame seeds on each side and press in.
Heat a griddle, pan-fry the discs, brush on a little of the remaining oil on each side and remove when done..
Delicious on its own or use as a wrap with stir-fried meat or veg.

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