http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , New Zealand , South Island , Franz Josef en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:09:09 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:09:09 BST We just got to Franz Josef glacier and it's pouring outside. We've splurged on a private room at the YHA lodge so we don't have to sleep in the van. We have a lot to catch up on since we haven't had fast Internet access... this will be a long entryAfter Jake's bungy jump in Taupo see the video we uploaded today we drove to Wellington the capital of New Zealand. The architecture of the wat http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-302941.html Hi everyoneWow time seems to be going so fast now I'm into my last month of travel. I find I'm thinking more and more of things I have to do when I get home very scary I went for dinner with Courtney Laura and Layla again on the Monday night and then I left Wellington on 15th July to come to South Island nearly missing the ferry on the way as the hostel staff told me the wrong time for t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-302587.html Having driven around 8 hours in the rain only to camp up in rain and then to hear that a lightening strike had hit the town we held out little hope of being able to do the helicopter trip onto Franz Josef Glacier that we had booked for the following day. But Mr Sunshine was truly on our side when we woke up in the morning. Having never been in a helicopter we were rather excited and it was not a d http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-301292.html Hey ReadersWe arrived in New Zealand July 4th got picked up from the airport by Chris a mate of Lou's and headed into Christchurch.We were staying in a very swanky flat with some of Chris's friends. The heating was sporadic to say the least and the rain was hacking it down. After a night of film watching warming up and pizza we felt revived and hit the shops on the saturday dragging Sam along http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-298606.html We zijn verder gereden naar Luggate een plaats 100 km voor Queenstown. Halverwege kwamen we langs een Jadeatelier. Jadesieraden is iets typisch nieuwzeelands en dan met name aan de westkust van het zuidereiland. We hebben een hele tijd met de eigenaren zitten praten.Het waren erg leuke mensen. Toen ik wilde betalen we hadden namelijk beide een ketting voor elkaar gehaald had ik te weinig geld http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-296754.html We set out from Wanaka in pouring down rain aiming for the West Coast. The West Coast is apparently the wettest place in New Zealand so we were pleasantly suprised to pass over the mountain range and descend into glorious sunshine The drive up the coast was pretty spectacular it's the Tasman Sea which is one of the roughest seas in the world so all along you have massive crashing waves which http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-294604.html Wat ze zeggen over NZ dat je 4 seizoenen in 1 dag mee kan maken klopt helemaal. In twee dagen tijd hebben we in de sneeuw gezeten in de bergen goed weer gehad aan zee en zitten we nu met regen in het regenwoud. Erg bizar maar ook geweldig.De mensen zijn hier erg vriendelijk en vragen altijd hoe het met je gaat.De wobbling Kea een soort papegaai is een erg grappige vogel maar je moet hem ni http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-294230.html Franz Jozef Glacier Day Hike.Our morning began a little chilly but that aside it was fairly clear and sunny for the rest of the day. One never knows with weather in New Zealand. We start the day getting all of the necessary hiking gear. I throw on a raincoat waterresistant pants nice thick socks accompanied by a proper set of boots. All set. The bus ride takes all of 15 minutes or so. Be http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-293372.html Endnu et adventurebegreb blev tilfjet mit vokabular mens jeg drnede op ad vestkysten p vej mod at afslutte min rundtur p syden Glacier hiking. Hvorfor ikkeNu da hiking har vret en af mine primre aktiviteter i NZ s jeg en mulighed for at udvide mine erfaringer med en vandretur p Franz Josef gletcheren. Midt i vestkystens fugtige og frodige landskab af tt regnskov er der nemlig utrol http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-293294.html Franz Josef Glacier or 'Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere' in M257ori translated as 'the tears of Hinehukatere' is quite unique as glaciers go. Glaciers are essentially slow moving rivers of ice. They are formed by the accumulation of snow that fuses to form glacier ice under pressure from the layers of snow above it.Franz Josef Glacier is unique because it is one of the few places in the world whe http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-292256.html NZ Day 3 Bad News Good News We woke up this morning thankfully on time to get to Fox Glacier 30minute drive away in time for our 920 start on the all day glacier climb. We figured out how many layers to put on in order to stay warm for 67 hours hiking on a glacier. Then we went down and had PB toast for breakfast with a cup of tea and made pb sandwiches and cheese slices for us to take for http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-291094.html Hi allI've not posted in a while which is because I've been in various remote places of New Zealand with no internet I've only got a few mins now but I'll note down what I've been upto so I don't forget.From Christchurch I traveled to Kaikoura where I went whale watching again. It was sperm whales this time and a very different experience to Sydney. We also got to see Dolphins and a couple o http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-287170.html 27th May 30th May Franz Josef WanakaHaving woken up covered in bin bags at the Poo Pub we all managed to stumble onto the bus to continue our journey down the West Coast to Franz Josef. Our first pit stop has got to be the most interesting yet...the Bushman centre. Just outside Lake Mahinapua the Bushman Centre is dedicated to showing people how people hunted traditionally and has to be one http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-285620.html ok so ice climbing didnt go to plan because it was pissing down with rain and thunder and lightning and the whole town was in a big cloud and there was no visibility and we probably would have died. so i suppose i accept that decision. however what i do not accept isfor some inexplicable reason all the girls on this bus find it nesassary to straighten their hair put on a full face of make up and http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-284578.html rightttt having quite a good laugh on the kiwi bus i must say. although it is still feelinga lot like a school trip still a school trip where they encourage you to binge drink. went jet boating the other day which was good although my prodominant memory of it is being very cold. seen some beautiful scenery including the mountain bit used in the opening of the first jurassic park movie which was http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-284326.html To cure our hangovers we stopped at a place called the Bushman Centre for breakfast apparently they serve the best possum pies in NZ Ok so admittedly we did pass on possum pie and had cooked breakfast instead after venturing into what I can safely say is the WEIRDEST museum I have ever been to. We were shown a video about deer farming first of all which had men jumping out of helicopters try http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-283253.html Following the previous day's activities which involved jumping out of a perfectly good plane at 12000ft we figured the best thing to do was to hike up the Franz Josef Glacier a truely awesome experience. I've been on quite a few walks and hikes in the past but the Glacier hike was one of the best. The glacier creeps through the valley in Franz Josef and as you stand on the valley floor you can http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-282028.html So we had just skydived and our next exciting task was to climb Franz Joseph Glacier We were all geared up with Ice pics hats gloves spikes on our shoes and coats. We first of all treked it through woods climbing some pretty steep ladders but this was nothing to what we would be climbing later. We were split into two groups we all ended the harcore group 1. We put our spikes on and headed up t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-282025.html Our next leg of the journey was from Lake Mahinapua to Franz Josef and on the way we had a few stops that the Kiwi bus took us to. We stopped at probably one of the weirest musuems I have ever been to it was meant to represent New Zealand hunting past times. We were shown a video where deer and moose had to be captured and the way they went about doing this was rugby takling them by jumping out o http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-282019.html Departing from Westport the journey along the coast follows the Tasman sea and its many coves and bays. The road then turns inland and weaves through more mountains and then back out to the sea to Cape Foulwind where New Zealands's largest seal colony call their home. A pretty relaxed life from the seals lounging away on the rocks all day and basking in the sunshine. They seemed to be pretty used http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-280628.html New Zealand QueenstownArrowtownWanakaHaast PassFoxFranz JosefApril 08After a few more days in Queenstown we decided it was time to leave. Just half an hour down the road is the really pretty town of Arrowtown there isnt really much to do there its just a quaint little place which looked beautiful with the Autumn leaves and colours everywhere. We had a stroll around the town had a coffee http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-280557.html A blog for just today Had a reasonable sleep as i did not have to get up until after 8. Had a BOILING hot shower before going downstairs for som nutrigrain mmm. Made some lunch and packed stuff for the day before heading to the glacier hike centre with the others. Checked in and read disclaimers before we were all kitted up. We were given water proof trousers jacket gloves and hat boots an http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-279259.html Hey guys. sorry for the lack of a blog this week but internet access has been lacking. Will have to bash this one out to cover the last few days Arrived in Christchurch monday afternoon having been up since 4am to fly over. Got myself on the local bus to the hostel and it was weird driving in since i felt like i was in England though it was sunny so obviously not Spent a couple of hours wan http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-278894.html Ok it has been a while since I wrote a travel journal but I have been busy honestlyAfter Rotorua we went to Taupo where I caught up with Ems from camp which was really nice she took us on some good nights out including a pub quiz which i was terrible at In Taupo I got a new tattoo and Cat got her ear pierced to celebrate 3 months of travelling wonder what we'll get after 6 months haha http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-276451.html Hi allAgain its been almost week apolagies but heres what I'v been up to.We had to get up early on saturday morning hangover optional but most people including myself decided to go for one to get the boat accross to the south island. It was only after getting to the ferry terminal that I realised that Kathryn must have overslept which could have been a problem as she had my ticket luckily the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-276416.html Hello my bloggersSorry again about the huge delays between my blogs internet in NZ is even more expensive than it is in Oz saying that i'm SO happy to be out of OZ and here in New Zealand. The last thing I did in OZ was a Cape Tribulation through the Rainforests and the Islands where Captain cook landed and it was really cool The best thing I did there was go on a 4 hour cowgirl horseride th http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-276111.html Hello Hello So after publishing the last blog we decided to head out and see the sights of christchurch the main one being the Cathedral which stands in the middle of the square so in we popped and we're delighted to find it warm compared to the biting wind outside We headed down to the Arts Centre which showed various artistis work and galleries and had a cute market on The buildings are all v http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-276084.html Hellolast Monday we spent the day at Lou's only venturing out for a smoothy late afternoon when we realised we'd been stuck inside all day. The smoothy was basically a litre of yoghurt... which even for us was tough going and made us feel a bit sick It was a bit of a non day really as we spent the rest of the day watching films and eating oven chipsOn Tuesday was got up early with the intention http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-273708.html Three hours late arriving in Sydney but there are Wendy and David friends I met in Vietnam still waiting for me. A short drive and we meet up with Rick my brother and Dan my nephew and have a morning cuppa together. It's great to meet up with everyone. I'm suffering a bit of culture shock after SE Asia. The pavements are there for walking on rather than parking motos sitting on eating http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-270675.html Day21 Franz JosefHad a lay in today before going for a walk we had been told about to a nearby beach. Having gone way over the 10mins they said before turning up a track in fact about 2025mins we decided to ask at a holiday park only to find out it was 30km away and would take all day to get there by foot Having heard this we turned around and made our way back to Franz Josef at a much more http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Franz-Josef/blog-270338.html