Traveling down to the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers

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So two weeks ago I was in Greymouth and I decided to look for a travel mate. After hearing back from a guy named Gabe from L.A., we decided he would meet me in Greymouth and we would continue down south along the west coast in his van. While waiting for Gabe to arrive, I met a girl from Wisconsin named Mary in my hostel. She was also planning on traveling the west coast. On Gabe's way down he met Christian, from Switzerland, at a lookout point. Christian came down to Greymouth and we all decided to travel together in Christian and Gabe's vans.

Seeing and hiking up to Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers was on my list of things to do before I leave NZ. I've heard their intensity and beauty are undeniable. So we headed down to Franz Josef, and were not let down. We hiked about 2 km to the bottom of the glacier. It was an icy clear blue and white. I stood there in awe at its size and beauty. While starring at the Franz Josef glacier, I realized that this moment was so much bigger then myself. I was witnessing the land before me, actually being sculpted by a huge chunk of ice. In the early 1900s, this glacier began at the carpack and now it has melted back about 2 km to where it stands now. It has left behind scratches on rocks and a large valley cut out of originally solid ground. Its one of those moments where you just need to stand their in silence and take it all in.

That night, we parked our vans next to a river (love free accommodation) and set up camp. We combined food and put together a tuna and apple salad covered with pumpkin seeds, nuts, and raisins. It rained that night, but we had so much fun in Christians van just laughing and sharing stories. Times like that are what traveling is all about; living out of your backpack with just the basic food items, enjoying the land in front of you, and sharing stories between fellow backpackers.

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