Greymouth and the Glaciers

Trip Start Jul 05, 2007
1
28
48
Trip End Dec 24, 2007


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of New Zealand  ,
Monday, October 1, 2007

The train journey from Christchurch to Greymouth is one of the most scenic journeys in the world.  Or so I'm told.  Sadly, I slept really badly on my last night in Christchurch  - I kept having nightmares about being marched around the town by a vicious German woman (see previous entry).  Despite the double espresso I downed before we left, all I remember about the journey is being woken up by the conductor to say we'd arrived.

I already knew that the west coast averages 7 metres of rainfall a year.  What I didn't realise was that it all arrives in one day.  Today.  It's very wet here.  Greymouth itself is a pretty dull town.  The clue is in the name.  So I only stayed there one night before heading south to see the glaciers: Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier.

The glaciers had been highly recommended to me by a couple of people back home Fox Glacier
Fox Glacier
 .  People whose lives will be in danger when I get back.  The glaciers were wet, and - as I should have expected from big lumps of ice - cold.

I went to Fox Glacier first.  This was with a small group of Americans.  We had been planning to climb onto the glacier, but the weather was too bad.  Instead of climbing it, we just walked up to the face.  As the glacier came into view, one of the Americans stopped the guide and asked:

"Is that ice?"

I don't know what she had been expecting to see at Fox Glacier.  A giant mint perhaps?

At the hostel in Franz Josef, I had one of my worst nightmares realised.  I was staying in a "mixed" dorm.  Which turned out to be me, and 5 women.  And only one bathroom.  Despite setting my alarm for 6.30 to get up in good time for my tour at 9.15, I didn't get to use the bathroom.  I hate women.

The tour of the glacier at Franz Josef was with a large group of hungover Eglish 19 year old kids.  It was chucking it down, but that didn't stop the tour going up the glacier.  It was freezing, and the kids' hangovers meant that we had to go especially slowly.  Which was even colder.  I'm not sure whether my feet will fully recover.  Hopefully Dan will let me know how many toes I have to lose before my walking starts to be affected.

After three days of solid rain on the west coast, I head to Nelson tomorrow on the northern tip of the south island, where the sun always shines.  Thank god.
Slideshow Print this entry Fox Glacier hotels