Blogs from Franz Josef, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 6

Hello everyone, I hope you are all well and enjoyed the half term break. Since I last wrote I have been busy exploring more of New Zealand so let me fill you in on what we have been up to whilst visiting the South Island. Mount Cook We spent a night in a campsite near Mount Cook so that we could do a walk to get closer and see it more clearly. Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand and is permanently covered in snow, because of this you are not able to walk on Mount Cook unless you are an experienced climber with ice axes and crampons (these are special shoes that dig into the snow and ice to stop you from slipping). It was a shame that we were not able to ... read more

7.40 Uhr startet die heutige Tour. Ich habe mich für die „Franz Josef Ice Experience“ entschieden. Zuerst bekommen wir eine kurze Einweisung und dann gibt es die Ausstattung für die bevorstehende Gletscherwanderung. Hose, Jacke, Handschuhe, Mütze und Schuhe mit anschnallbaren Spikes gehören zur heutigen Ausstattung. Wir gehen zum Hubschrauberlandeplatz, wo ein reger Verkehr herrscht. Unser Hubschrauber muss noch kurz auftanken und dann geht es hoch in die Luft. Mein erster Helikopterflug überhaupt und es ist ein super Gefühl und dazu kommt ein sehr schöner Ausblick auf das weiter Land und die Berge vor uns, wo der Franz Josef Gletscher sich durch die Berge schiebt. Nach 5-10 Minuten Flug landen wir auf dem Gletscher. Am Sammelpunkt werden die Spikes angeschnallt und dann bewegt sich unsere kleine Gruppe über den Gletscher. Jedoch nicht nur über den Gletscher geht ... read more

We got up early (7.30) well early for us and drove to the lake it was a little further than we thought but we got there by 9. Swade was waiting for us a really lovely guy who had been fishing in Alaska for the past 15 years and had a slight American accent. He took us out on a motorised punt over the lake and as you might imagine it was so quiet and still. He told us about the wetlands and the wildlife that lived there and the problems facing its survival. As we travelled across the lake we saw seabirds feeding at the edges standing on the water but it was the marsh they were standing on. We saw a harrier hawk swoop over and heard tui's and saw a bell bird beautiful ... read more

As we left Punakaki the weather had picked up and the wind had dropped, however 15 minutes down the coast it got darker and darker, until the rain came! We were aiming to drive to Hokatika so we could use the Internet in the library and have some lunch. The road was quiet enough but one of the crazy windy roads the kiwis have built around their hills. After arriving in Hokatika we ended up sat in our camper van on the coast watching some people fishing for whitebait in the rain. The roads between Punakaki and Franz Josef were interesting to say the least. With 90* turns on cliff edges by sheer drops, we were back in top gear territory, unfortunately if the weather was better we would have had some incredible views. Some time ... read more

We were up very early to leave Nelson for our 9 hour 45 minute bus journey to Franz Josef. On the way stopped in various places including Punakaiki and Hokitika. Punakaiki houses the famous pancake rocks and blowholes created by the rough Tasman seas. The force of the water hitting the coast was incredible but unfortunately the weather conditions didn't allow us to see the blowholes in action. We arrived in Franz Josef to a warm fire blazing in our backpackers, The Glowworm Backpackers. We spent the evening tucked in The Monsoon Bar sheltering from the constant rain. The following morning we we're booked in to do the Glacier Valley Walk. We arrived fully kitted out at the office (I'm sure Dan will upload a photo of us in our finery as soon as we get ... read more