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Published: January 28th 2008
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Sunday 27th January Another early start - struggled to get up and was only just out of the door as the bus was ready - should have been out 10 minutes early! First stop this morning is Hokitika - we get an hour for breakfast, or to stock up in the supermarket, or wander the beach. I find the beach - bizarre penguin house structures, and a driftwood sculpture display... Think the dog with the big stick in its mouth maybe wrecked one of them! Stocked up on a few goods at the supermarket and back to the bus on time... Passing the many bikers who obviously congregate here on a Sunday morning!
Next stop is Ross, an old gold-mining town. Ryan demonstrates how to pan for gold - can do it yourself for $6.50 but not bothered. Stupid photo opportunities are much more appealing! Ryan decides to leave a bit earlier than he said, so I come running out the toilet not QUITE sure if he's having a laugh (he is) or really has forgotten - well, you never know! Wouldn't want to get stuck in Ross - not much there!
More mountain roads - getting bit twisty
now! Some great Alpine scenery, and beautiful glacial rivers. We keep trying to take pictures out of the window, but Ryan has a good spot in mind, where the (Western Ranges), including Mount Cook, are well in view. We drive through (some town) which is famous only because a plane crashed here in the 1930s! Next stop is Whataroa (remember, Wh is pronounced 'F' in New Zealandl), which is Ryan's home-town. Store, park or toilets are the options here! Waving at Grandad and Grandma as we pull out of town we head for Franz Josef Glacier, arriving shortly after lunch.
Apparently it rains 2/3 days on Franz Josef but today is looking beautiful so no waiting for tomorrow for the heli-hike, do it whilst it looks good! By 2.30 am getting kitted up and by 3 we've had a good look at the glacier from the air (right to the top) and are back down on the heli-site up on the glacier. We're split into 2 groups and our guide Sean, who's from Texas - got himself a good backpackers job here, heads us off. The next 2 hours are a bit of a whirl of photo opportunities as
the ice formations are just beautiful (change by 3m per day). Had no worries with the Crampons on my feet - just keep pointing them in the direction you're going! All too soon we're back, and back up in the helicopter - think I'm sat on the wrong side as I keep seeing the cliff face rather than the glacier, but still, exciting!
Get back around 5pm, see a sign in the shop for an Anglican Church service at 6pm so head for that. Bump into 2 of the people from my helicopter (was only 4 of us so that's quite amazing), amongst the 7 of us in the congregation. Tiny church with amazing views. Not quite sure how the vicar's going to play it but I guess he's used to small/tourist congregations and it works pretty well. We have a song, follow the service (in English, not Maori, which is an option), have a sermon on praying for guidance, have communion around the altar, another song and we're done in 50 minutes. Back at the hostel arrange to meet with Netty 8pm, sort some food out - find the Korean lad who missed his bus - he buys
me a Sprite to say thank you! Netty then gives me an hour's treatment of head/neck/facial massage - can really feel her getting at some knots in my back, and gets the final kinks of my crick neck out! Quite spaced after that so drink lots of water/read and go to sleep - nothing planned for tomorrow, so...
Monday 28th January Wow - slept 9.5 hours! Got up slowly, went on the internet briefly to see if there's a Dive Dr in Franz Josef - unsurprisingly, no! Did see that Amanda had been on Facebook in prior 30 minutes though, so decided to try and ring... Got through and had a nice chat! Only 3rd person have actually spoken to in UK since I left (4 months ago tomorrow... Not bored yet!). Mooched down to the Red Bus which is a bit of an icon internet destination ($4 hour, fast) - backed up DVDs, uploaded photos, made a bit of a dent in my essential emails! Washing and a late lunch before settling down to try and work out the rest of my time in New Zealand. I don't want to fix it in stone but I need some
idea so I get to do the things I really want to! Want to carve out some time for hikes/thinking time too - not just costly adrenalin trips. By 6pm am in the right place for free soup - end up talking to Ruth and Ash from N Ireland who are in my room. Try phoning Hamish's brother in Dunedin - will try again tomorrow! By 830 back to chatting to Ruth - we head back to the internet but it closes 9pm so didn't quite manage what I needed. Started chatting to Ruth over her pizza, we then went to the Blue Ice Bar for our free shots, stayed for a drink, then went to Montrose Backpackers to join some others for a chat (beer!)... And try and think of more names of celebrities who died 'too young'. By 1130 I know I need to sleep as I have to be up before 7 so I head back, getting ready in the dark!
Heading to Wanaka in the morning.
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