So, to Glacier country..... The day we arrived we were lucky enough to get see the clouds which had battered us the whole way down the coast with gale force winds and flooding rains brush aside and reveal the glacier from a hefty distance. At least we could see it and it was pretty much the first bit of scenary we had seen down the coast since it started raining. We got a photo or two and before we could turn our backs and head to the hostel the clouds rolled back in and covered it up again.... this didnt bode well for our glacier hike the next day....

Thankfully the forecast was for good weather the next day, and the Kiwis are generally right when it comes to forecasts. We woke early the next day and the sun was shining down on us from above the mountains.... good views of the surrounding hills, which bore a striking resemblence to Peru on the Inca trail. We got geared up with jackets and boots (wet from the last group), socks (not too smelly but well worn), and crampons (rusty but ready). The bus took us to the begin of the trail up to the glacier and after maybe a half an hour or so of walking we were at the foot of the ice on the scree.... it was chilly obviously, but the sun was shining down and it was lovely. The river that runs out through the bottom of it is called the smokey water or waitho (something like that anyway). It is called that because it gives of steam as it is so much colder than the air, condensation rises up from it to form a little fog around the river. Either side of the valley there were loads of watefalls running down the mountains from all the rain and it was truely spectacular. We popped on the crampons and up we went onto the ice. To be honest, it was slightly underwhelming. Being on the ice itself was a new experience, and in that it was great to do it. Also being so close as to be able to touch and stand on an actual glacier felt like a privilege. The only problem is we were kind of expecting antartic snow fields and a sea of white in all directions, and to our disappointment you could see over both sides to the hills beside it. Nevertheless we were on a glacier and we had some tough climbs up the short path to the end of the half day trek. The steps are carved into the ice by the crew in the morning and topped up as we walk along. We got to the top and it was pretty cool to look around at it, we took plenty of photos at the crevaces and holes and rivers running along it. We let the little duck do some posing, to everyones joy (we even had an Irish couple taking pictures of him to show their mammys what the Kilkenny lad had brought with him around the world). We were meant to then climb down a different route but apparently the bottom of it fell out and we couldnt go that way anymore (glad we werent on it at the time eh!!!!). Down we went and back through the scree and then the forest to the bus again. Possibly the highlight for me, apart from actually being on a glacier, was wading through the streams that ran of the glacier at the bottom. They were sooooo cold but it was good craic going through them anyway!!!

That was that anyway, we went out later to take more photos from down below the glacier as the day stayed lovely all day. Its a nice spot, lots of helicopters take people up and around the mountains and you can do a Heli Hike which takes you near the top and you hike for 3 hours on the ice (that would have been nice if it wasnst such a rip off). On our third day we headed for Fox Glacier on route to Wanaka but the river crossed over the access road to the other side, washed away all the trails and they had to close off the road up. Beside that road is a view point road, but the main view point was washed away by the floods too so we could only see it from a distance. There should be some pictures of it too though, the later ones. We also went to a reflective lake, which had the sky being clear we would have had a reflective view of the glacier and possibly Mt Cook to boot, but it was cloudy!!!!

Next stop Wanaka and my hands are tired from typing so I will catch up with that next time maybe.... so long for now folks.

PS we are both in fine health and spirits and are still very much enjoying our travels, in case anyone was wondering