Thursday 21st January Franz Josef Glacier

Although 140 glaciers flow from the Southern Alps, only Franz Josef and Fox glaciers reach the lower rainforests (flowing down to just 250m above sea level) and this is what makes them so accessible.Franz Josef is also a "dynamic" glacier which means it is still growing and receding - it can move as much as 10cm a day and is growing due to the 30-40 metres of snowfall each winter.

There are 3 options for getting onto the glacier; a half day hike which involves a short hike to the lower levels of the glacier and about 2 hours on the ice, a full day hike which is a bit more strenuous and gives about 6 hours on the ice and gets you further up the glacier, or the heli-hike which is a short 10 minute helicopter ride to an even higher elevation with 2 hours on the ice.Ant and I opted for the heli-hike (which was the most expensive option of course!!) for 2 reasons, firstly, we are not sure our knees will hold up for a full day hike and secondly we have never been in a helicopter so this seemed like an ideal opportunity.

We arrived at the heli-hike terminal at 08:45 for our 09:30 flight and got kitted out with warm, waterproof jackets, gloves, hats and crampons.After a short safety briefing we were on our way.The helicopter flight was amazing - it was so smooth and quiet.As we approached the glacier, our pilot swung round and flew us up the face of the glacier almost vertical!!! It was a stomach dropping moment but the most amazing thing I have ever done.Once on the ice, our guide Tay showed us all how to fit our crampons and after a few minutes orientation, we were all leaping about the ice like gazelles.

Early Maori called the glacier Ka Roimato O Hine Hukatere - The Tears of the Avalanche Girl.The legend tells of a girl whose tears froze to form the glacier after her lover fell to his death from one of the peaks.We had a great couple of hours on the ice exploring ice formations, wormholes and compression caves - we even got to semi-abseil through one!! The time went very quickly and I was quite disappointed when the helicopter came to take us back down.Back in the township, we dodged the rain showers as we got a well deserved moccachino from one of the local cafes and trudged wearily back to our chalet for a hot shower.