Arriving in the torrential rain, Franz Joseph was still every bit as beautiful as we remembered. The one 'main' street - consisting of a couple of bars/restaurants, a small grocery store, a gift shop and many an flight company offering scenic tours and heli hiking - is accompanied by a smaller second offering just behind it with mainly campsites nestled in the bush. Looking up that main street, when the views are clear, the towering snow capped peaks steal your attention instantly. Franz Joseph exists because of its glacier, snaking down the valley and carving our the mountain side to the village. Our purpose then was to see this mighty, living block of ice once more. Taking the moraine trail, just a short walk through more bush before opening up to the vast flat gravelly valley
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