Franz Josef glacier and kiwis, 20th

Today has been a most excellent day. The day for a slightly scary but mostly exciting journey by helicopter up to the glacier (there isn't really another way to get onto the ice as it's pretty dangerous near the bottom end). After getting kitted out in matching waterproofs, our group of 12 was taken up in two helicopter loads. We were lucky as earlier flights had been cancelled due to wind, but it had died down enough for us. It was a most spectaucular way to approach the glacier! Then we had three hours of wandering around following our guide, who shared lots of interesting bits of information about all the types of ice formation we saw, and facts about the glacier. It was surprisingly lumpy and bumpy up there, with really deep creavasses and features all round. Realły put the ice sculptures I saw in queenstown to shame!

By antidote to all the excitement, I went on a more sedate little tour of the kiwi sanctuary, where they are incubating eggs which are hatched in the wild, but which are taken into care in order to increase their survival rate, which is only 5% in the wild. This species of kiwi has increased from (if I remember right) about 100 in the wild, to 400, so it was dangerously on the edge of extinction, but has much better prospects now :-)

Tonight I shall go to the hot pools for a swim!

Journey to Franz Josef, 19th

For anyone who is wondering after my previous post, last night I did go to the ice bar- since it was my last night in queenstown I thought I'd push the boat out! It was a curious experience...they give you gloves and a coat, and send you inside a smallish room. Full of ice sculptures, and a bar made of ice where you go to get a cocktail. Which is served in a glass made of ice! Most refreshing! It didn't stick to my mouth as I thought it might, which is good. At minus 8, you don't stay in long, which is good when you're on your own, and not sure if there will be anyone to talk to. As it happened there were a few friendly people in there, and there were plenty of small talk based remarks to be made in such a novelty place. And photos to be taken...but sorry, they're on my camera, so again it's a waiting game for those!

Today it was an early start to commence the nearly 8 hour journey to Franz Josef. This sounds like a horrible journey, but actually they do nice bus journeys here, with a little commentary and plenty of stops. We stopped by a waterfall, a cafe and a salmon farm today, as well as driving through a couple of towns, and seeing coastline, rainforest and mountains. There was a stretch of about 4 hours without any mobile network (the driver warned us, so it must be all networks), so it really did feel very remote out there.

Made it here it beautiful sunshine, so went out to explore the town in the two or three hours before dark. Visited a lovely little Anglican Church, and scoped out the hot springs and kiwi sanctuary for tomorrow. Then went on another of New Zealand's well maintained and signposted trails through the forest to a tunnel (which I wasn't brave enough to venture far into!) which used to be part of an old hydro power system of some kind. A few more trails and a glacier to explore tomorrow!

Mountain climbing, 18th

My last full day in Queenstown, I wanted to get the gondola up the side of the mountain at some point, so that had to be today! It was a very steep incline, to a cafe and restaurant complex at the top that also offers various things like bungee jumping, mountain biking and a luge track (sort of downhill engineless go karts i suppose!) but first things first, I set off on my way up Ben Lomond (and you might be forgiven for thinking it was in Scotland, although taller than Ben Nevis- Nevis is 1344m and Lomond is 1748m. The Gondola gets you up to 812m though, which made it seem less!) I hired some crampons and an ice axe from a shop in town as it looked rather snowy... Although it turns out the track takes you just beyond the ridgeline that is visible from town, and on that side there's hardly any snow at all! This might have been disappointing, except that the snow was all getting soft, and the couple of places I did have to go through it, it was very slushy, and would collapse in where the underneath had melted away. If there had been snow all the way up I think I would have aborted the mission, as it would have been too dangerous. The weather was a little changeable, as was predicted, so I was armed with all the warm and waterproof options I had, plus map and compass. On the way up it varied from snow, to sun, to fog and rain. There was a little while where thick clouds were all corralled on one side of the mountain, and the other was perfectly clear. I didn't get a very good view from right at the top, but saw enough to feel satisfied with views on offer! it was amazing to get a glimpse of the other side, around here it's snowy mountains as far as the eye can see, and just when you think there can't possibly be any more, there are. Lots of the mountains are very traditional toblerone style pointy ones, which is good.

After making my muddy way back to the gondola station, I treated myself to a hot chocolate and a crepe, and was considering a go on the luge when the rain kicked in again...and it's still going now, hours later! So I gave that a miss and returned for a shower instead. Might venture into town tonight, there's a bar made out of ice apparently, which sounds interesting, and might be worth a little nosey at! Then again, it's nice and warm here! I'll see how I feel after dinner :-)

Horses, 17th

As you can see, these pictures are not of horses! The horsey pictures are on my camera I'm afraid, as I didn't want to get my phone rained on. these are of a nice bird I saw on a walk this morning. Thought its feet were unexpectedly duck-like for a fluffy looking thing. My walk took me around the shops in town, and along lake front. 

I was picked up by the bus at 1.30 to go to the stables for horse riding. There should have been five of us on this trip, but it turned out a group of three had accidentally booked the wrong month...oops! So there was just myself and another girl. It was a two hour ride for people of any level of riding experience...both of us were beginners so that's good. Only problem was the Other girl had an extremely low level of English, so she wasn't really able to follow instructions (slightly problematic!) luckily this stables was extremely relaxed in comparison with other places I've tried horse riding. They pretty much sat you on a horse, said this is start, this is stop, this is left and this is right. And off we went! The horses knew to follow in a line anyway so it wasn't too technically challenging.the guide was a lovely friendly lady and we chatted lots on the way round. We waded through rivers, deep enough to get wet feet (we had borrowed wellies luckily!), and saw the misty mountains from Lord of the Rings, and the mountains of isengard down the valley. Then back to the hostel with sore bums and knees for pasta, and another wander in to town before bed! last day in queenstown tomorrow, so I'm heading up the gondola (cable car) for a walk, hopefully it won't be too rainy. My cold (I tentatively dare to think) is improving at last, hooray!

Milford pictures

Milford sound, 16th

Having trouble with Wi-Fi, so pictures to come later.had a lengthy but beautiful scenic coach drive to Milford sound, followed by a cruise down this fjord, and coach back.On the way we stopped various times, to take photos and go on short walks. The journey took us into rainforest territory, and one walk went to a spectacular waterfall carving it's way through the rock.at another we met the friendly parrots called keas, who seem to like tourists. It was rather misty and rainy, as I suppose it often is in rainforests...So I was a little concerned we wouldn't see the sound in all its glory, but actually this only added to it's appearance, as there were extra waterfalls all over.the boat went in close to one waterfall, so we all got soaked through.this was much fun, and amazing experience how much force was thundering down. There was also a buffet on board, which was an excellent chance to stock up on foods that I haven't had for a while, and luckily it wasn't choppy enough to feel seasick! Ooh, and we saw seals, and one solitary but extremely cute penguin :-)

*updated* Tasman glacier and on to Queenstown

Hired a bike to cycle the 8km to the Tasman glacier...this is another massive lake that didn't exist a few decades ago, but is rapidly growing...the glacier that is far at the other end of the lake is receding by 400 to 800m a year apparently, unbelievable! Feeling somewhat floppy and stricken with cold today (still! Boo!) But hopefully a couple of days with limited physical activity from here on shall help! 

Able Tasman, who many things in this country are named after, was a Dutch adventurer who found New Zealand before captain Cook did (who many other things are named after)

Getting the coach to Queenstown soon...more later!...

...a beautiful journey today. we passed through a valley named lindis (second picture) after lindisfarne on the way to Queenstown...And it bears no resemblance whatsoever to where it got it's name from...was lovely though.And I've worked out the main difference between here and England, other than slightly bigger and less populated, is no dry stone walls!

Feeling a little sad to have left mount cook without achieving quite everything I would have liked...And Queenstown is much bigger...On first impressions I like it less, but there is so much to do I'm sure it shall win me over!

Day trip to Milford sound tomorrow!