Icy mints

Trip Start Sep 01, 2008
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16
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Trip End Mar 2009


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Where I stayed
Terrace motel
(Franz Josef hotels)

Flag of New Zealand  , South Island,
Thursday, October 9, 2008

Nearly didnt make it over the Alps as snow had fallen overnight & the pass was nearly closed to cars without snow chains but it was ok if a little scary with all the horizontal sleet & sheer drops into icy rivers!
Yet more Keas stopped Paul from admiring the Otira Viaduct an impressive piece of engineering in the mountain wilderness.
On down the west coast 'highway' little more than a B road at home with single track bridges - no need for speed humps here! Our destination being the Glaciers - we stopped at Franz Josef  rather than the one used by Fox's to make their Glacier mints.  The weather changed again so we had stunning sunshine & blue skies on the mori\ning we hiked to the glacier & went glacier walking. The scale is incomprehensible until you see little helicopters the size of flies buzzing about & landing high up on the ice. We all loved climbing over the ice & through little ice tunnels, the views were amazing & the ice contained amazing shades of blue. the glacier waters were creamy white in comparison.
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