Hello everyone,

Today was our second day staying in Franz Josef town. Our hostel is really nice, it is spread out like a holiday camp and is very clean. Unfortunately the shower in our room is like one you would find at a swimming pool; you have to keep pushing a button in to turn it on (and remember to keep doing it so it doesn't turn off!). Other than that it's ace.

We spent the whole day out on the glacier - about 7 hours walking, climbing, slipping and sliding our way around a huge chunk of ice 6km long. It is massive! We had a great time, but it was really hard work. During the last ice age the glacier was right down at the sea, but since then it has been steadily retreating up the valley it has carved out. It is constantly changing, and can move up to 6m every day. We had a guide who would cut ice steps for us, and he took us right down into crevasses which were only a little over a foot wide. Not for the claustraphobic! By the end of the day our legs and feet were aching.

Tomorrow we are heading to Wanaka for one night before we go on to Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand. We have plans for jet boating and white water rafting!

Fin and Sian