Chance encounters with Glaciers, Dolphins and fellow travellers in New Zealand

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So we left you in Franz Joseph village last time. We headed out for our free shots, and spent the evening shooting some pool with a guy and girl from the netherlands. They are doing their PE teacher placements in New Zealand, and were taking some time out to see a bit of the country. Unfortunately for them they were broke though and had to get up early the next morning to clean the hostel in exchange for their dorm beds. We, on the other hand were spoiling ourselves with in-room facilities like a kettle, toaster, en suite, and tv and video. A treat like you wouldnt believe!

We booked in for a half day glacier visit up to the Franz joseph glacier. We left at lunchtime and were kitted out with boots and jackets, and optional waterproof pants (the guy there was trying to talk people out of them though, think they may not have had enough or somthing, i was definitley getting a pair though!). Also they gave us crampons for our boots (metal spikey soled things you strapped onto the boots for walking on ice).

It was a fair walk to the glacier, which seemed really close but was actually 3km away. Then, when you get close you put on the crampons, which were surprisingly easy to walk in. We set off up the ice, Paul insisting that we be in the first group for more active people who wanted to get further up the glacier. You have to stomp your feet into the glacier as you walk to ensure the crampons get stuck in. They have little step cut into the ice to make walking up easier, but its hell on the calves! We had about 2 hours on the ice, which was really cool! (...and cold). There was lots of blue ice, something to do with wavelengths, maybe Paul might elaborate in his photo captions. All in all it was visually spectatulor. Unfortunately it started lashing rain. They say the weather can change very quick on glaciers. All the people who had taken the advice not to wear waterproof trousers quickly got drenched. Paul's shorts were soaked through too, but he didnt seem to mind, as we werent gonna be up there long. There was one couple though who moaned and winged asking when could we go back down cause they were freezing (despite the fact they were in a big group who'd paid for the trip). I was snug in my waterproofs though, and the rain cleared up after about an hour. We both really enjoyed the trip, and it was definitley was worth the money. Altho, given the rain, and the agony in my legs the day after, think for us anyway the half day was grand. Took the guy a bit too seriously when we said to 'stomp' feet into the ice when walking up and on glacier....

So the last day in Franz Joseph we took car to mechanic as the wheel was squealing a bit. We had managed to ignore it by turning the radio up loud and continuing on😊 . We were hoping it was just a stone trapped, but turned out we needed new brake pads. Luckily they were a bargain at 110 dollars (bout 55 Euros, sure you cant go wrong). So we were motoring again in our trusty steed. Decided to have a look for some second hand tyres as well, as turned out the front tyres were as bald as they could be! Still working out cheaper than renting - we check with every person we meet in a rental to see how much they are paying, touch wood we dont meet anyone who bursts our bubble eh!

So we were back on the road, and headed down to Queenstown. As it was a 5hour drive, we broke it by staying in Wanaka for a night on the way down. We also stopped off at Lake Matheusen (famous for fancy photos of reflections of mountains in it, but cloudy for us) and the Fox glacier for a distant peek on the way down. Wanaka was quite nice, would have given it another night had we known there was so much to do there, but we just settled in for night, and got our washing done. The lake was lovely with people sunbathing, and snow capped mountains off in the distance. Anyway, we were off again in the morning, popping into Wanaka's puzzling world along the way to see some visual illusions and play in their games room. Reminded me of an interactive first year psychology class!!!

We stopped off at the AJ Hacket bungee on the way down to Queenstown. Pauls considering it, and I'm talking him out of it the whole time. I would be too scared to look, and it might be bad for his back (which he's been know to put out). The scenery was incredible on the entire drive down from the glaciers, hard to beleive it was real at all.

Checked into a Hostel with fantastic views of Queenstown lake, and the surrounding mountains. Queenstown is small enough but we both loved it. Probably our favourite place in New Zealand, with lots to do. We signed up for jetboating, which involved lots of 360 degree spins, and near misses with bridge pillars etc. Also, we decided to do a tandem parasail, where you get pulled along by a jet boat while on a line attached to a parachute. We were up 600 foot above the lake (enough to kill you if you fell). The views were fantastic, but the parachute lines kept creaking, and felt like they were slipping so we were both a little tense, they even let the rope go loose so we dropped down and dipped our feet in the water before being pulled back up. It was fantastic... Paul had camera tied onto his jacket with intention of untieing when we got up, but once up, decided against it, and no amount of offers from me, would convince him to let me touch him, tense as we both were. It really was brilliant though. I had done it before but not at that height. Also, Queenstown has a Luge!!! (tobaggan type thing that we had done in Rotorua.) We had a couple of go's again up there of course given it had been so much fun the first time. Imagine our surprise when a few hours later, we got a text from Mairead Boyle (Pauls neighbour that we had suprisingly ran into in Saigon), saying she was Luging in Queenstown and just saw our photo on the screen, and were we there too? We didnt even know she was in New Zealand. Small world phenomenon hits again. ALSO, walked into an irish bar the night before, and who was sitting there, but Gary, one of the hilarious english guys who had been on our two day boat trip in Halong bay in Vietnam. Talk about weird!!!!

Stayed just 3 nights in Queenstown, would have loved to stay longer, but time is not on our side. Paul had had a read of a book on bungy jumping which suggested back problems after jumping are not all that common, but rather haemorraging behind the eyes, strangulation, and neck and shoulder problems..... Think we have a stay on the bungee for now..... He was fairly set to do it, before he read all that, and then the parasailing WAS high so might deter him yet. Am not playing the supportive girlfriend on this one..... And so we wrapped up there in Queenstown with enough money spent and activities accomplished, picked up two second hand tyres (bargain again at 90 dollars - bout 45 euro for the two) and headed down to Te Anau, the jump off point for trips to Milford Sound, one of the 'must see places on the planet'. Stayed on a deer farm out of town with real reindeers and log cabins with fantastic mountain views. It was very quaint indeed. The first night we stayed up drinking beer and playing cards with a couple who had also been in our hostel in Queenstown. We had plans to drive the 2.5hours out to Milford sound the next morning, have a 2 hours boat ride round the Sounds lapping up the views, and then drive back to Te Anau in the evening. Well, we are a total disgrace. Little hangovers, and tiredness the next morning, convinced us that we could do without Milford Sound on this trip to New Zealand. Sure we had been to Malborough Sound, and seen every little place along the way, and surely we needed a break since we were moving so fast, and sure we cant do everything eh.... Ahem!!! Anyway, shameful as that decision was, we had a lovely lie in, and a lovely day about the village, with a swim in the lake and a much wished for swim out to the floating platform by Paul, and no regrets since. We hadn't had a chance to meet up with Mairead and Fob, so we hooked up with them that evening in Te Anau - which involved hitching a ride in, and getting the LAST possible taxi home at 11pm!!!! Great to catch up, and we were all bemused by having run into one another again whilst out in the big bad world. They are also heading to South America so god knows where we'll meet next!!!!!

So next on our to do list, was a trip to the Caitlins, the far south of the south island of New Zealand known for its isolation and rugged coastline, with the next stop out to sea being the Antartic. We stayed in a place called Dolphins Backpackers in Purpoise bay beside Curio bay where they do surf lessons and rentals so we were in our element. They have all sorts of wildlife down there. We went down to Curio bay in the evening to quietly watch from a distance the yellow eyed pengins coming onto the rocks. They were so cute, would have loved to have a pair of binoculars to get a closer look. Pity, they are really shy so if you approached them, they would take fright and run off. The highlight of the Caitlins had to be renting surfboards. We spent about 2.5hours out in the water in Purpoise bay. And with us in the water were tons of 'Hectors Dolphins' who spend the summer in the bay. Paul would be surfing a wave and there inside the wave beside him would be 4 dolphins riding the same wave. They are inquisitive supposedly so would swim up and down the bay and come investigate us as they passed. They were jumping out of the water in front of us, and swimming at times so close to us that you could reach out and touch them. Fantastic, one of the highlights of New Zealand for us. Also, the waves were nice and tidy, and the boards were 8 foot 6 foam boards so it was great practice doing some easy surfing!

The Caitlins is quite unpopulated, and there is no phone coverage etc. The bay we were staying in had one shop in the camping ground and that was it. The next village down had the internet in a old mans house. You just knocked on the door and used his personal computer and gave him a couple of quid for it while he watched tv and smoke his cigs in the same room. Think he does it for the company. He said most weeks he'd only get about 3 people calling in, but the day we were in, we were his third callers. They also had a little cafe a few miles down the road in a place called Niagara (named after a trickling brook ironically called Niagara falls) where you could have tea and cakes. They had a fenced off area out the front with hens and sheep and cows, a lama and a billy goat all cohabiting pleasantly. Sure it was like animal farm for us. All in all, a very pleasant relaxing time in the Caitlins, a lovely spot for some down time. And turns out now, we wont have to pay to swim with Dolphins after all 😊

And now, we are in Dunedin, on the east coast of the South Island, for 4 nights, staying in a lovely old hostel called Hogwartz. Only 6 days til we meet Mark and Mary, which we cant wait for! So our next blog for New Zealand will be our last. We are both starting to read up about Chile and starting to think up our plans. We really are on the home stretch now, but the next 3 months are going to be the icing on the cake. We are reading our spanish book and looking up classes in chile, and are both really excited!

Hope the weather is starting to turn at home, not long now til spring, and until the days start getting longer. Hope you are all well. We miss you all, but we know it wont be long now til we are back so we have to make sure and enjoy every minute we have left! Pop us a note if there is any news, we love to hear from you all.

Elaine and Paul
x

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Photos

Walk to glacier
River had changed path so we had to clamber over boulders

Franz Joseph Glacier
It looks small but the glacier is actually 3 kms away!!

Our Trusty Guide
Our guide went ahead of us and carved out steps in the ice as well as putting in ropes to climb up

First glimpse of Mt Cook
The cloud final cleared just a little to get a glimpse of mt cook from lake Matesson

Lake Wanaka
Right on the door step of our hostel

AJ Hacket home of Bungy Jumping
Am contemplating the drop from the bridge, not convinced yet!

Small World
In Queenstown we randomly ran into Gary with whom we had spent 3 days on a boat in Vietna

Comments

[Brid]

S A bound
Hi guys, Ny sounds amazing. staring at the glaciers here in patagonia and glad to hear crampons are easy as james is determined to drag me climbing. Looking forward to seeing you somewhere in sounth A

[Mary and Mark]

See ye tomorrow!!!
Probably see ye before ye read this - really looking forward to seeing ye and having some adventures in New Zealand!!