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New Zealand Day 8 & 9
Day 8 saw us drive up the coast from Haast to Fox Glacier, a distance of 120 kms, but took about 2 hours. The kms mean nothing over here, as the roads are soooo windy in places that you are travelling very, very slowly. The open road limit is 100kms, but we are only allowed to do 90 in our motorhome.....which is fast enough as times.
Anyway, we arrived at Fox Glacier at about 12-30......in the rain. I was soooo disappointed. We were both really looking forward to doing the walk & had decided that I wouldn’t do the chopper flight if we both do the walk. That would have been great if it wasn’t raining. All I could think of was that my photos just wouldn’t be the same. But, they were still doing the 4 hour walk with the guide & we decided to go anyway. The weather changes so quickly here, that it is raining one minute (heavy drizzle) & then the sun is shining the next..........well that’s a bit of an exaggeration, cause I don’t think we have seen the sun too many times at all, but you get my drift.
The guided tour was $99ea, & they supplied all the wet weather jackets, overpants, boots, woollen socks (yew- wearing socks that 5 million other people have worn.....but I have already got tinea, so sucked in to the next person if they don’t wash them properly!). They also had gloves if you didn’t have any. So, we jumped on board a bus with about 20 others, the majority of which were Japanese (although 2 couples said they were from Great Briton, not Japan). There were also a couple of young Drs who had been working over here & on their way home and a couple of young British lads. I was looking forward to it, but still a bit down in the dumps. The Fox Glacier is about 4km south east of the town. You drive up to a certain point, then off the bus we all tramp. It wasn’t that cold, but there was drizzle from time to time. From the carpark for 500m you are not allowed to stop, as the area is prone to rockfalls. He told us that if we saw him running, we had to run faster, out to the middle of the riverbed away from
the cliff. We were in two groups & of course you are as strong as your weakest link- we had an older lady with a hip/knee problem that needed a stick all the way, we only went as fast as she did, which was a pretty casusal walking pace. Once past the rockfall area we stopped for a few minutes & then onwards & upwards. They used to walk about 100m or more up the side of the mountain, but a few slips etc & they have now made a trail alongside the glacier. It certainly gets the heart rate up & they did tell us that we should remove any clothing we didn’t need until we were ready to climb on the glacier, as you didn’t want to sweat & then get really cold & wet. I certainly opened both my rain jacket & my jumper (still had a long sleeved T & a spencer under that.
You get to a certain point (fenced off) where you are not allowed to go any further unless you have a guide with you. You can see the ‘terminal face’ of the glacier from there quite easily. We had to cross 3
streams- walking over rocks, some of which were under water, along the way & then really started to climb up. There were several other groups on their way down- some had been choppered in & were hiking out, some had been hiking for a day or two- mad, just mad! They had the ‘4wd’ version of spikes on your boots & some had been climbing up the face of the ice- got no idea those people! It wasn’t too long before we came to the end of the hiking & had to stop & put on our ‘spikes’- can’t remember their name. It was like half a rabbit trap under the instep of each boot. You had to make sure they were very tight & then tuck in/do up all loose bits of clothing, especially around your feet, ‘cause you sure as shit don’t want to trip over. All your wet/cold weather clothing then went on, & you collected a walking pole with a spike at the bottom- ready to walk on the glacier. He did give instructions on how to walk with these things- you had to walk flat footed- to toe dancing & had to virtually ‘stomp’ each
step so that the spikes got a grip on the ice. I was having trouble mastering the ‘stomping’ bit until Raymond suggested that I just imagined I was ‘stomping’ up to the boys room ‘cause they were being naughty & were about to get told off.......had it down pat in no time at all!!! Good old Raymond- he comes in handy from time to time.
So, onto the glacier we went. The guide in the lead, every now and again chipping away at the ice to make a new step, or make the old ones safer. Man is that slippery shit! I nearly pooped myself on more than one occasion, & was feeling the pressure a bit as I was ‘tail end charlie’. Raymond was constantly looking back & calling out to me tho, to make sure I was OK. I must say, he amazed me- for a guy who is scared of heights he did amazingly well. We walked down into, then up out of a crevasse- I thought he may baulk when he saw what was ahead, but no, he soldiered on. We walked for about 20 or so minutes- me shitting myself every second step when I
forgot to ‘stomp’ & Raymond just stepping it out!!! Go figure! The guide did say that you had to ‘stomp’ with confidence & that he didn’t want any slipping/tripping. We got to a certain point & had maybe 15 or so minutes to take photos & rest, but you were not allowed to wander off- he was very strict about that, with good reason. We did hear the other guide tell off a couple of young Japanese girls who had decided to go a bit further over to take photos- they came back very sheepishly.
The glacier is beautiful- lovely blues & greens, some brown- bits of dirt & rock mixed in with the ice & of course white, but beautiful in its own way (even tho I don’t do brown). It was raining whilst we were up there, which meant your view was restricted & made taking the photos quite difficult as the lens kept getting wet. Still all in all it was an amazing experience & it was wonderful to be able to share it with Ray. The trip back down was without trauma & all too soon we were back on the bus & heading back to
tow. It is about a 3 hour walk I think.
So, off with all the borrowed gear & quickly back into out motor home for the 77km (over an hour) trip up to Franz Joseph Glacier township where we planned to stay the night. We spent the night in a beautiful rainforest park- still with our powered sites, but they have only removed enough of the vegetation to make room for your vans etc, so you have rainforest views out of every window. It was dark when we got in, so a bit difficult navigating our way up to the site, but we managed.
Day 9- Franz Joseph Glacier.
We had decided that we would do the walk into the terminal face- as far as you could go without a guide, but Raymond had said if I really wanted to, I could do a chopper flight- weather permitting of course. Well the God’s were certainly smiling, & the sun shining on me- yep, the sun was shining which was a beautiful site. The guide from the previous day had said that there was a big storm front due in on Wed night & they expected very heavy rain& well over
100mm, so instead of staying 2 nights at FJG, we were only going to stay one & be well inland before the storm hit.
OMG, OMG, OMG- I have NEVER seen anything more beautiful, magnificent, astounding, spectacular (have you got the picture yet?) in my life. I had to wait a very nervous 30 minutes, as I was the only name on the list waiting to do a chopper flight, with a landing on the glacier & they need a minimum of 2 (& there is NO way the Raymond was going up in a chopper- had enough trouble getting him on a great big plane). So we walked around a few shops, checked out the competition (who were $30 dearer) & eventually got the very good news that 2 other girls wanted to go up & the guys suggested they went virtually straight away (they were going parachuting after lunch- why, I just don’t know) as the weather was good for the mo, but you never know how long it is going to last. I couldn’t keep the grin off of my face! Ray walked with us to the helipad, just behind the shops & waved goodbye to someone
who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. I got to sit in the front by the doos- it can take 6 people incl the pilot. Dead set, I truly have never seen anything more magnificent. My poor camera nearly went into melt down as I was determined to get as many photos as I possibly could- trouble was then you missed out on ‘looking’ so had to get a bit of a balance. We had a bit of a bonus tho, as we had to do an extra landing to drop a guide off- he prepares the site before the group comes up & starts their treck back down. I had to wonder where on earth he was landing tho, ‘cause we seemed headed for this big, brown rock face. But, he knew what he was doing, so all was cool. We were down long enough for guide to climb out & the off & up we went- & I do mean up. Amazing, just amazing. The sun was shining & the colours in the crevasse’s were stunning- the most beautiful blues etc that I have ever seen. We got to the ‘nerv’ I think they call it- the top
anyway & we landed. OMG I still can’t believe how beautiful it was- & I still couldn’t stop grinning- like a kid in a lolly shop. We got our photos taken standing by the chopper (can you believe that whilst we were up there for 10, maybe 15 minutes) the pilot took a photos of us on his camera standing by the chopper, printed it off & offered it to us in a lovely postcard thingy for $20! Printed it in the back of his bloody chopper- modern technology, gotta love it! I also took photos of the girls & they took some of me. This is the first time in my life I have seen snow, & whilst astounded by my declaration the girls (who were from Melbourne) informed me that this wasn’t fresh snow, probably 2 or 3 days old, as fresh snow is drier- this was like the stuff inside your freezer before you defrost it. But I didn’t give a rats- to me it was snow & fantastic.
All too soon, we had to get back on board again & begin our descent- we did get another little bonus tho, cause he did a couple of
circuits over this hiking hut, balanced very precariously on the edge of the mountain. There are 2 guys up there doing repair work (can you imagine the danger money?) & he needed to talk to them via radio & let them know the weather was going to turn foul & if they didn’t come down, they may be stuck there for a week! Unfortunately for them, they were a bit thick & didn’t get the message that they should pick up their radio & talk to us, so in the end he said ’bad luck’ & left them to it. I had swapped seats with one of the girls for the trip back, so my view wasn’t quite as amazing as on the way up, but what the hell- it was still fantastic. Have you got the picture yet that I found it an incredible experience????? We ended up being 30 minutes, which is 10 minutes longer than we should have, & would have cost an extra $80 odd if we had booked a 30 minute flight. I must admit the tight turn back into the landing pad, was very tight & being in the back had my stomach turning
somewhat. I was glad Ray hadn’t come, as on the way up the chopper was ‘fish tailing’ a bit- all the thermals I guess, & then coming into land was eerrrgghhh.
My darling husband was waiting at the helipad & I think all he could see was my teeth as I was grinning from ear to ear. Fabulous! Ray wanted to have a coffee before we left, but I have to say I couldn’t put anything in my mouth- there was a large lump just below my oesophagus! SO he had coffee & I had a chewy- & then I had to drive- couldn’t bear being the passenger on windy roads with my stomach feeling as it did.
We stopped for lunch at Hokitika on the beach- the grey beach & then off to Greymouth where we got a few groceries. We then turned inland & left the wild west coast (well it will be tomorrow night). We are spending the night at a little town called Reefton, on our way to Hamner Springs tomorrow & our first thermal pool experience. Probably only spend one night there & then over to the east coast to Kaikora & some whale watching!
Tough week at the office I can tell you! Ah, you would’ be dead for quids. I hope we get some internet with the provider I have bought time with, or I may have to buy some other companies times so that I can get these on the travel blog......& the photos from Fox & FJG.
Hope you are all fit & well, Love to all
Ray & Terri
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christine fiebig
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Love the poncho!! and the scenery you are very brave Terri going in that helicopter!