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After not a lot of sleep we got up and went down the the Franz Josef Glacier Guides centre ready for our Glacier Hike! Meant to be one of eveyones highlights of the Kiwi Experience so I was annoyed I was so tired with this cough!! but that's how it goes I guess. Signed in, got all our equipment then left to go to the Franz Josef glacier. Its in the Westland Tai Poutini national Park. Its one of only 3 glaciers in the world to be less than 300 metres above sea level and amidst the rainforest. It does seem out of place and one of the last places you'd expect to see a glacier but makes it really stand out!! Bit of a bad start to the day... First of all, the group gets split into difficulty levels, level 1 for really difficuly down to 5. We were with Philipa and Ash, a couple we'd made good friends with. Mike and Ash wanted level 1 and me and Phil wanted level 2. 1 filled up quickly so we went for 2. Felt a bit bad about it for the guys but were happy.... until someone came along and said there weren't enough people in group 4-5 so picked the nearest 8 people to her which were me, Mike, Ash and Phil and another 3 people who wanted to be in group 2. This annoyed me because it seemed really unfair. I really wasn't that bothered for myself as I felt ill anyway, but knew that the guys wanted to be in level 1 and thought it would have been fairer to pick people from group 3 or at least found out who wouldn't have minded moving. So I felt bad that we hadnt rushed to 1, in the end it was the best decision as I'll explain but yeah felt upset about that as we were with all the tourists with their big cameras who wanted an easy trip. We didn't think we'd get to go as far as the others and would have less time on the ice when we'd paid the same aswell. We stayed as group 4 and 5 for the first half hour and the way we were spoken to was like being on a school trip, not a good start! Anyway, after a really tough walk to top of the glacier up a steep hill covered in loose rocks (anyone who knows me knows how unblanaced i am anyway!), we were split into groups 4 and 5. We met up with another guide, Kai, who would take group 4 and the girl we had been with would take group 5. Then our day got better. Kai was brilliant, he had been there about 6 months so was still really enthusiastic and keen to explore! There were enough of us who wanted to be in group 2 to go with Kai, so instead of a group 4 and 5, there was group 5 then Kai said he would treat us like a group 2! Worked out really well :) Basically as the glacier is changing constantly (on our way down things looked completely different from the way up, couldn't believe how quickly it changed!!) everyday the guides cut away steps etc and make the route as they go along. So as we were the 4th group to leave we spent less time waiting for steps to be cut and more time exploring! I wont lie, I found it really really hard work, especially as the second problem of the day was my foot! For the last few months my heel has really been hurting but I've been assuming its bad shoes. Before we got on the ice Kai asked if we had any blisters to sort out before we went on (we had been given walking boots). My heel was hurting soo much and I assumed it was a blister,but he looked at my heel and told me the bone was more prominant than it should be which is why it rubbed. Suggested I might want to just do the half day but I said I would carry on. Will have to get it checked out when I get home as it's definately not always been like that. Anyway, but crampons on our shoes to grip us to the ice. Took a while to get used to but they were such good grip! I was really unconfident in them at first as there were loads of steep climbs and descents and being on ice i felt like I was going to slip! Got used to them as I went though, we went into some incredible crevises and caves, down a hole almost like a tunnle slide at the playground, up and over some frozen waves... it really was amazing. I was struggling with my foot though and as I wasn't too confident I was so focused on watching my feet I forgot to look around a lot of the time! We stopped for a picnic which was definately the strangest place I've ever had lunch! Our group was brilliant and Kai was great and we all helped eachother out. Were probably with the best people as Mike was the most confident and I 'd say I was the least but we all had a really good time. Kai found some places for us to go that the other groups hadn't, weird to think no one else may have ever been in them before. Showed us a knee high pole coming out of the ice and told us to guess how long ago it was level with the ice. Our guesses were in years but it was actually only 5 days!! Couldnt believe it. Anyway after 5 hours on the ice we got back off, and my heel started rubbing more when the crampons were off. I had forgotten about the 45 min walk back to the bus!! So that really hurt and I was shattered!! Eventually got back and got to take the hiking boots off!! Have been living in flip-flops which has suited me a lot better! Went back to the hostle, got showered then a group of us went out to the bar for a meal which was delicious :-) Mike entered the Wetsuit Wipeout, another competiton where you had to get into a wetsuit and flippers and circle the pool table in the quickest time to win a river surfing trip.... best not mention this to Mike as he was very annoyed.... Mike managed to do it in 22 seconds, 3 times faster than the next quickest person, but right before the finish line his flipper slipped and he didnt think he had time to put it back on properly but then it fell of so he was disqualified. It was really annoying knowing he would have had time to put it back on and he would have loved to do the trip! But just gonna have to get him to keep entering competitions! Went to bed and unfotunately got another bad nights sleep as my cough got worse :-(
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