We drove along the Glacier Highway to get to Fox Glacier and our final destination Franz Josef, and very nice it was too! It wasn't very glacial for the first section, in fact it was more reminiscent of a rainforest as we drove through high, lush, green trees, over many many possums, and past a misty coastline. We decided that this must have been the area where they shot some of King Kong, as we often expected the huge Gorilla to storm out onto the roads!

Just as we arrived at Fox Glacier it began to pour down, well I exaggerate, it pelted it down! We ran, okay walked with a quickened pace, to the van to put on proper shoes and waterproofs, but still managed to get soaked in the twenty minute round walk! Our pictures show it was too wet to even take our hoods down, although Jo did manage to withstand the rain long enough to read the poster! It showed just how far forward the glacier was just thirty years ago, very hard to imagine. As we'd driven in there had also been a marker in the road showing where it was in 1750, shocking.

Another 25km up the road we found the Franz Josef Glacier, which had similar signs showing its demise, although we found out that it's currently expanding. Some days it can move a metre or so, probably more, but I didn't write down the exact figures in my diary, so please feel free to look it up if you'd like to know more!

We stopped off in Fox Glacier to have lunch and dry off, a slab of Lasagne for both us: we were seated next to stuffed ram.

Then came the quad biking! Jo had first mentioned it when I was in Cape Town, so it seemed far and away then, but suddenly I was standing at the desk paying for it! I was quite apprehensive as the lady in the office pointed out the huge Canadian quad bike I'd be driving, me, not Jo with me behind, but me. Argh! It was a bit of a juxtaposition from my whizzing around in the van just hours before!

Our guide was a girl who'd been living in Tasmania for the past three years, and whilst a Kiwi, she sounded exactly like a Tasmanian bloke I'd been on tour with Africa, apart from being a few octaves higher obviously. We put on our socks, boots, waterproof trousers and jackets, and helmet, and sat on the beasts as she explained how to use them. Another automatic I had to somehow master! We did a practice run around the yard, and from this moment it was clear I was rubbish! My quad bike shunted along with its kangaroo steps, much like I did when learning to drive my car! Although this time I didn't master it!

We set off, and I let everyone go in front of me, as I knew they'd all be waiting if I didn't. Jo was racing off in second position, it was as though the quadbikes turned us completely on our heads, as Jo is often the more cautious driver with me similar to a boy racer at times. Not on the quads though!

I managed to get stuck on a boulder within the first five minutes, yelped many times to myself as I went over rocks that I was sure would flip me over, and soak myself in mud as we went through one of the streams. Going through the glacial streams was quite unnerving at times, although the deep mud following heavy rain wasn't too much fun either! Dad had told me how when he and the other firemen went quad biking the female one had to be pulled over as she was holding the others back, and ever since then I'd had a fear that would be one day. My fears were not in vain. I was like an elderly lady plodding through the terrain at a maximum of 30kmph, although my guide was patient at all times, as was Jo as she sat at the front waiting for me. I hope I wasn't too embarrassing!

I eventually picked up some confidence after we stopped for hot chocolate, but my confidence was soon brought back down with a boom when I over revved and took myself off-road! I didn't want to rev too much and so waited for the guide, who had to jump on my quad and drive me back on track: oh the shame! A windy route through the rainforest and what I thought was a rather speedy return through the rocky terrain, and suddenly we were back at base. Typical! Next time I'll be more confident! I was just so sure I'd end up tipping it if I wasn't careful!

After changing we went back to view the photos taken along the way, one of me going through the glacial waters shows a wide open mouth as I shrieked all the way down! Although I'm beginning to master the art of when to smile and so the other two photos look like I'm actually really good at quad biking! Wahey!

Following our strenuous day we bought dessert at the local pub, Jo opting for 'Choc-o-lot', and it was a whole lot of chocolate, whilst I had sticky date pudding, yum! Both of us regretted our desserts straight after though, but as we've noticed on this trip, our eyes are often bigger than our stomachs! Tasted good though.