Franz Josef Glacier

Since we have been mainly driving for the past couple of days it's time to take in some of the local scenery.

The Franz Josef Glacier is one of the fastest moving in the world and we opt to take a guided hike up it. The company kits us out with crampons, boots, socks and gore-tex jackets, so even though it's quite cold and wet, we should be pretty cosy.

After a flat hike to the river bed we get a first glimpse of the rubble strewn end of the glacier. It looks a bit like walking into Helm's Deep. It's not exactly pretty but still quite awe inspiring at the same time.

We then put on our crampons and start hiking up the glacier itself.
We make regular stops and our excellent Maori guide gives some info about the scale, age and history of the glacier. I almost score some points with mentioning that it was named after the uncle of Archduke Franz Ferdinand whose death was responsible for World War I, but my smart arse comments fall mostly on deaf ears as the rest of our party only know the band.

Mandy is triumphant however as she remembers the Maori legend of how the glacier came into being.

From here we hike up through ice tunnels whilst the guides hack out steps with their ice picks. And we pause again to get a view of the surroundings and take some lunch.

The interpid Howie/Todd exploration of 2008 continues.

Our guides find a little ice tunnel and decide to see if they can squeeze through it. Our maori guide makes it and then asks if anyone wants to try it. Emboldened by adrenalin or maybe brain freeze I step up. After all it's only about six feet long and he was quite a bit bigger than me, so I reckon I'll get my beer gut throught it no problems.

Witness the intrepid exploits.

A few more crevaces and descents later, we return to Franz Josef village for some well-earned nosh and booze. Thoroughly knackered.