The wonder of Franz Josef Glacier

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After waking at 6am (we've GOT to have a lie in soon - am knackered!) and getting to the office I manage to have a little chat with the nice Tour Guide woman.

After showing me various photo's of high ladders and steep ice steeps you have to climb, aswell as explaining about walking on ice shelfs and jumping over ice cracks I decided it was not for me. Diane the brave however, signed up for the full day hike.

So after going our separate ways I looked into what other activities where around and went Western Horse Trekking instead!

My horse was called Zeb, who had a tangent for going fast! We started off walking, then after the guide asked if I would like to try trotting (a gentle jog) my horse decided it couldn't be bothered with that and went off into a full blown canter (proper running!). But I managed to hang on and found it quite fun - even my guide was impressed with me!

As I arrived back into the town at lunch time and enquiring with the local information office, I took Lucy upto the Glacier carpark and decided to try a couple of the local walks around there. At the Glacier Hike office they were offereing a guided tour to the base of the Glacier for 60 dollars and nearly went for it. But I'm so glad I didn't as when I got to the end of one of the tracks, I saw a guided group go uner the fence and continue to the base walk, so I just sneaked in behind them and got to do it for free!

After taking all my photo's I returned back to the hostel for a little snooze before Di came back and filled me in with the tale of her adventure. She really enjoyed it but said I was right not to go as quite a few of the points even she was a bit nervous!

We heard there was a band playing in one of the bars down the road, but wanted to get up early tomorrow to go and see Lake Matheson - the mirror lake. The Lonely planet says the best time to see it is before 8am, so putting scenery before boozing (plus as it was a ski town it was quite expensive!) we had a night in and watched the first Lord Of The Rings with a bottle of wine.

Early rise again tomorrow - 7am start!

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Photos

Franz Josef Glacier
Ice in the middle of a mountain!

And the point I did get up to!
I even got someone from the group to take my picture!

Me on the Swingbridge
On my own aswell, aren't I brave (thank goodness for timers on camera's!)