Walking on water (well ice!)

Trip Start Nov 26, 2007
1
9
17
Trip End Mar 01, 2009


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Flag of New Zealand  ,
Wednesday, January 9, 2008

We are now in Franz Josef, home of the huge glaciers alongside a big rainforest - strange but true!  We left Nelson for Greymouth... hmmm is exactly how it sounds, think Grimsby!  Wasn't all that bad though as we went on a tour of one of the main brewerys in New Zealand - Monteiths.  Have to say Jonathan enjoyed it more than me, not being a bear drinker.  However, they have a shandy type beer and a summer one which has honey in it, which i found almost yummy!  Then we headed to Franz Josef which is where we are are now.  Its really pretty here with the glacier coming out between the two mountains.  Unfortunately the day we arrived they cancelled all the trips (quite rare apparently) due to the really bad weather - it was pouring down.  We had wanted to do a heli-hike so we decided to wait another day for the weather to change. 

However, the next day the weather was still very cloudy and the helicopters wouldnt fly due to the low cloud ready to go!
ready to go!
 .  Because lots of people were having their trips cancelled, the half day hike was fully booked... ahhh!  However, we eventually managed to get booked on the half day hike and off we went at 4pm yesterday.  Did everybody fail to tell me how hard it is?  Its really quite strenuous, with lots of climbing up and down over huge hills, up and down small, but high ladders and steps that are half the height of me!!  However, we went with the slower group and i overcame my fear.. and was fine until Jonathan lost his grip and luckily was holding onto the rope with both hands otherwise would have taken us both out and off for a slide down the side of a really high block of ice!  We are both really glad that we did though and although our legs are not thanking us today, we feel more of an achievement than sitting in a helicopter.

So today, we tried to catch the magic bus to head towards Queenstown (we are stopping at Wanaka on the way through).  However, there is one road out of Franz Josef and its also the road with the mirrorlake on it, and there's been a fatal car crash so the road is closed!  We were due to leave at 8am this morning and we may not leave until 1/2pm!  Never mind, hopefully we'll be able to leave soon and you never know you might be reading about some more adventure pursuits in the days/weeks to come.. watch this space!  
 
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Comments

mommaggie-peter
mommaggie-peter on Jan 21, 2008 at 02:40PM

The walk
We certainly remember walking up to the glacier - we didn't try the heli ride. Sonia and Paul certainly were much fitter and more capable than we were for the walk and probably thought we were wimps!
Love and hugs
Mum and Peter
XXOOXX

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