Enjoying the great outdoors

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Along with Fox Glacier, Franz Josef Glacier has a small population of just 321, yet its 300,000 annual visitors make it the busiest tourist stop on the West Coast. I was fortunate enough and very grateful of the opportunity to walk up to Sentinel Rock for one of the best view-points of the glacier on the day of Scenic Circle's end-of-season party. Fifteen of us had already spent an adrenalin-pumped afternoon scaring each other silly on powerful 400cc quad-bikes in the town. The whole adventure had been kept a secret, other than being put in pairs, asked to be ready to leave Fox at a certain time, and to wear casual clothes possibly suitable for wet conditions. The general consensus was that we'd be going kayaking.

The quad bikes were soooo much better than I had expected and I found the experience totally exhilarating. I'm not so sure Will had such a good time being my passenger, because when I was screaming with excitement he was absolutely silent! He even said he thought his trousers had turned brown and it wasn't just from the mud!!! Afterwards, sitting in the sun with a handle of beer, at The Landing in Franz, and enjoying each others company made all of our hard work at the hotel that much more worthwhile.

The remainder of the evening was spent changing into fancy dress costumes, having a delicious barbeque at the local fire-station and listening to each others terrible attempts at singing and performing with tha aid of the Playstation game 'Singstar'!!! We were all pretty exhausted by the end of the night.

With just a couple of weeks left living and working in Fox, many of us decided to explore two local walks: River Walk and Chalet Lookout Walk, although the boys treated it more like a marathon than a leisurely stroll, and therefore Connie and I were left behind taking photographs. Both walks were great and had good views of the glacier.

In between shifts at work I have eventually caught up on sending e-mails and postcards to family and friends, and appreciate all of the sweet messages left via my travelblog site.

As for my final day in Fox, I walked the Moraine Track, excitedly packed up my car, and after saying my goodbyes I'm back-tracking slightly down State Highway 6 travelling south.




And so the adventure continues...

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Photos

The girls
Louise, Melissa, Hayley, Moira, myself and Connie

Quad biking at Franz
Getting muddy

Lake Matheson
What an amazing reflection

At Franz Josef Glacier
Still covered in mud from the quad-biking!!

Playstation game - 'Singstar"
Singing with Agent Holmes a.k.a Vanessa!!

Playing Twister at the end-of season party
Adam, Will and Connie (in fancy-dress!)

A flower in the garden
Learning more about using my camera

Busy in the hotel kitchen
Craig and Darren

Girl Guide biscuits
Doing my bit for 'charity' mate!

Fox Glacier
The town!!

Comments

[Sarah]

Wow you must be getting fit with all that walking!
It all looks very pretty, and I'm quite envious of you wandering around spectacularly beautiful scenery, while I suck on petrol fumes in Walcot Street. If you drive a quad bike anything like you drive a car, perhaps your passenger was quiet because he was thinking COME ON PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN!!!!!! Only jesting. Miss ya...love Sarah

[Gwenda]

Oh , to be YOUR age again!
I think all of us are enjoying your 'adventure' as much as you are! Thanks for the postcard. I did send an e-mail to you but I think it may have got caught up in red tape somewhere! Will send another soon. Lots of love Gwenda, Keith - and the rest of the ever growing family! XX