I arrived at Franz Josef Glacier on Sunday and went out kayaking on nearby Lake Mapourika that evening. This is a mirror lake, and later on in the evening as the wind died down we were treated to some amazing reflections as the water calmed down. The views of the mountains were also quite spectacular - it was possible to see Mount Tasman (NZ's 2nd highest mountain) but Mount Cook (the highest) remained hidden in cloud.
The glaciers at Franz Josef and Fox are fairly unique because they descend to very low altitudes (at Franz Josef the end of the glacier is only around 250 metres above sea level), are surrounded by temperate rain forests and are also very easily accesible - it is possible to walk up to the terminal faces of both glaciers in nothing more than a pair of trainers.
On Monday I was kitted out with mountaineering boots, crampons and ice axes and spent the day ice climbing on the glacier. It is only once you actually get right up and on to the glacier that you really begin to appreciate just how big it is. With all the kit you get given, you actually feel remarkably stable on the ice, and once you get used to the crampons and ice axes it is actually fairly easy to ascend up sheer walls of ice.
In the middle of the week I went down to see the Fox Glacier, which has a similar setting to the Franz Josef - I went hiking through a rain forest to see it! Also, very close to Fox Glacier is Lake Matheson which is another mirror lake. On the right day you can see both Mount Cook and Mount Tasman reflected in the lake, although in practice the rain and clouds usually mean you are lucky to see either of them. However, my good fortune with the weather continued and I was able to get the full views from Lake Matheson on two consecutive days!
On Friday I went back up to Franz Josef and met up with Colin and Mary - friends from Bristol who are also around half-way through a round the world trip. We spent most of the day talking, eating and drinking cups of tea!
At the end of the week I caught the bus down the rest of the west coast and then inland through the Haast pass to a small town called Wanaka, which is situated next to a lake and surrounded by hills and mountains. The hostel I stayed at must be one of the best I've been to - it had big glass windows on the front that gives you a view right across the lake to the mountains beyond, which makes breakfast time seem very scenic!
The photos from this week are HERE.
