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Published: February 5th 2008
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Kea
The wold's only alpine parrot... don't feed it--they're protected! So, typing really fast because the internet here gives you 10 minutes a dollar....
Yesterday, We drove from Christchurch to Franz Joseph glacier, after meeting the tour group as a whole for the first time. Because there were two Contiki tour groups leaving from the same hotel but going different places, it was slightly confusing. I met my friend Michelle that morning; both of us are 'on our own' for this tour, having gone in not knowing anyone else who was going. We had a good breakfast, and then drove off into downtown Christchurch.
We had a slight break in Christchurch after quickly touring the city, because that would be the last time for these few days that we'd have the internet or any large stores. Michelle had forgotten socks, and I needed shower shoes (sandals here are 'jandals' or 'thongs'), so we scrambled to find what we needed before the tour left.
We drove from Christchurch to Horkipu, via Arthur's Pass. The landscape shift was quite dramatic, from very dry to lush and tropical. The roads were quite steep and wound round lots. The roads certainly have hairpin turns here! We stopped in a town where there
Keas
Careful, they double-team to steal your lunch. was a jade factory, where you could buy native greenstone that had been carved, mostly with traditional Maori carving. Because the prices were so expensive, I just walked down to the beach and saw the ocean.
We then continued along the road, and picked out the activities that we'd be doing in Queenstown. I picked what I wanted, and was able to get everything... I'm not going to be skydiving or bungee jumping, but keeping it easy doing some hiking and horseback riding.
We entered the Franz Joseph township, where we spent the night in the Rainforest Retreat. The town itself is very small, and only survives on tourists. I walked into town (about a 10 minute walk from the lodge) to pick up some munchies for the road and postcards (which I promise are coming; I still need to write more, and buy international stamps).
That evening, after dinner in the lodge, we went on a walk to see glow worms. We walked down to the forest down the road, and into the woods. The worms are so beautiful! They are quite small, and their lights are brilliant cobalt blue in the dark, and don't blink
Arthur's Pass
The road is really steep and curvy, I'm glad I wasn't driving. like a firefly. It was like standing in the middle of the night sky, both above (because the night was so clear, the stars above were really sparkling), and below, in a mix of blue and white stars. Besides the tour guide, I was the only one who had a flashlight, and was quite glad of it. It was pitch black in the forest! I really was astounded at the beauty of the glow worms. They are so fantastic, and I couldn't believe that such a small creature, a little grub, could make such beautiful lights and beautiful nets (they make lights to catch their prey, which fly into silk strings that dangle below them).
Today was a very early day. We got up and drove from Franz Joseph to Fox glacier, another small tourist-supported town. There, we got to do our activities. While some headed off for their helicopter tour, most of us went on a walking tour of the glacier. The 'Fox Trot' was really quite cool. We walked through the rainforest, near a sheer cliff, where the going was quite steep, and then out onto the glacier. The glacier itself is huge, and is really not
Dog at the Beach
Waiting for people to finish up at the Jade Factory; the beach is pretty and the dog was friendly. cold, like I thought it would be. I was sure that standing on the glacier was going to be chilly, but I was rather hot in my long sleeve tee and my shorts. I got some marvelous pictures that I can't wait to post! I had a wonderful time, the views were spectacular. THis is only one of three rainforest glaicers in the world; they are Franz Joseph, Fox, and some one in Argentina. It is so strange to be surrounded by rainforest, and be standing on a giant sheet of pure blue ice.
After gathering everyone after their time in Fox, we hit the road again. We drove from Fox down to Christchurch, our final destination for the evening. We saw lots of beautiful sights along the drive; the coast is quite stunning, because the waves are so huge and the ocean is so crystal blue. I had a great time looking out the window at the rainforest and watching the scenery for the drive.
We ended up in Christchurch, where tonight I'm going out with most of the group to the Skyline Resturant, a place that can only be reached by ski gondala. It should be
Mountain and Stream
Scenic view from one of the many one-lane bridges we drove over. fun!
Tomorrow I'll be on a full day hike- I'm the only one out of the group that's going to be going on that trek; my other friends will be either having the day off or doing something more extreme. However, the group does have reservations for -5 tomorrow night. Even though I don't drink, I"m excited to go to that bar. It's made completely out of ice, from the bar, to the glasses, to the art in the bar. They give you ski jackets to wear and really do keep the temperature that cold. I'm excited to see it, even though I don't think I'll be drinking anything.
Anyhow, I have to get going to dinner, and my time is running out. I'll be talking to you all soon! I'll have to let you know how the day's activities end up tomorrow, and what I think of Queenstown, the adventure captial of the world.
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Jon
non-member comment
Hi Emmy!
Hi Sweetie! I'm glad you had a good time at the glaciers; that sounds like a lot of fun! I hope you have fun on the hike today!