New Zealand - Franz Josef

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Hi

Before l begin todays instalment Nancy has asked me to tell you about a lady we met when we at the Shotover River in Queenstown.

We met this elderly English lady who was travelling the world with her husband before going to Australia at Christmas to celebrate her 80th birthday with relatives. This lady told us that she is also on a SKIng (Spending the Kids Inheritence) holiday and has been out of the country for three months. She is currently living in Scarborough and is a relative of my old Dentist in Carlisle.

Anyway back to this diary

On leaving Wanaka we drove to Franz Josef a total of 433kms over a lots of mountain passes and the Haast Pass. Because we stopped so many times to go walking at various places this took us all day. We would stop at a beauty spot - go for a long walk through rain forests with lots and lots of ferns and vegetation then head back to the van for a cup of tea. We did this on at least 5 occasions. By the last one we just parked up and Nancy went to sleep. But these places have to seen to be believed. The sheer size and variety of flora and fauna leaves you breathless. I have never heard so many wows from Nancy - from me also.

Our last stop before we reached the park was to the Fox Glacier. The actual Glacier is about 15 minutes walk from the car park and meant having to cross two or three fast running streams by walking on insecure stones. But we made it as far as it was possible to make it to get the terminal face (thats what they apparently call it) without being able to get onto the actual glacier. But never mind tomorrow is another glacier day this time Franz Josef Glacier.

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