Sorry everyone for the delay in our update, i know there are a few of you eagerly awaiting updates as to how we are getting on.... We have had computer trouble and internet is expensive, like everything here on the South Island of New Zealand, so we are trying to limit ourselves, to logging on every few days!!!!
The weather had been good, warming up slightly, so rather than staying in disappointing Westport, we decided to head to Franz Josef, to see the glacier. On arriving the clouds were down as low as the tree tops as we were so high up, and the weather had changed to rain and mist, despite the good forcasts! We decided to spend the next day in the town and find out about hiking either the Foz or Franz Josef glacier. Decided to do the all day hike on the Franz, giving us up to 6 hours on the ice.
The Glacier guides company give you all the gear you need and allow you to split into groups going at different speeds. Once loaded onto the bus there is a 10 minute ride to the foot of the glacier, before the stat of the days hiking. In a group of about 10 of us, we made our way along the 2.5km walk to the base of the glacier over rocks (which was tiring enough!), where we were then briefed and helped into our crampons (metal spikes, to help you grip to the ice). Even from this distance the view of the glacier was amazing, although you could feel a sense of danger, seeing the rocks and ice piled at the base, which had quite obviously slid off it at some point! Steve, our guide led the way, taking us up steep steps which are each re cut every morning by trained guides. Some of them needing to be cut again as we climbed, so we were stopping and starting frequently allowing people to catch their breath! Spending 6 hours on the ice we scrambelled through huge cravasses up to 70 metres high and half a metre wide, and could hear the sound of the rivers flowing deep benieth us, which was pretty nervewracking. The ice is constantly changing and you feel this as you descend back down the glacier. Steps and walk ways created on our way up had dissappeared, and the weather conditions vary. At some points we had just t-shirts but when the rain came down it was freezing! The rain made the glacier even more beautiful, creating channels of water as waterfalls poured off the mountains around us! AT the end of the day we were both absolutely nackered, but agreed that this was the best day of our trip so far. Anyone in a glacier region should definitely take the opportunity to go on one of these trips, it really is an amazing experiance and the scenery is spectacular. Once back in the town we elected to save our complimentary use of the local spas until the morning and treat ourselves to a well earned stake!! The Speights Landing Bar and Restaurant serves great food to anyone heading out there! Laura had the Johnny Cash Ribs – Cosmic!!
Next stop on the west coast was Wanaka, which had been recommended by just about everyone we have met who likened it to Queenstown but less touristy. On the way south of Franz Josef we called in at the Fox Glacier which was also beautiful. It is a bit smaller, but has the most amazing pools of turquoise water around the base. We were both walking gingerly after the all day climb yesterday!! We took photos and began the 4 hour drive to Wanaka.
We stopped at Bruce Bay to build a rock tower on the wall like everyone else! Although a long drive we stopped off at every possible point along the costal road, taking pictures of the amazing scenary, snow capped mountains, winding blue rivers and lakes, and hills and mountains for miles around, both of us getting the feeling we were going to enjoy Wanaka!
Day 1 Wanaka: Woke up early to clear blue skies......Perfect for a SkyDive!!!!!! So headed to the airport, where we were told the only slots for the day were late afternoon, or the cancellation slot straight away which they could fit us in to!!! We both decided to get it over and done with, and after signing our lives away and wondering why we were doing this to ourselves we were briefed, donned multi coloured overals and told to wait. Andy began to relax after looking green for almost the entirety of the briefing, while i seemed to get more and more nervous. We were then introduced to our tandem skydive instructers who had both done over 15000 jumps (much more reassuring!). From then on everything happened too quickly! Next thing we knew we were strapped to total strangers, in a tiny plane with the door open, soaring along the run way, i had my heart in my mouth, and Andy couldnt stop grinning. Later it emerged that this had been for my sake, as he too was crapping himself and was trying to reassure me, convinced i was going to bottle it!) Andy was the last one in the plane which meant first one out, and me second! One minuite we were sitting inside the plane, next thing we were tumbelling out at 15000feet, freefalling for 60seconds..... these 60 seconds were quite honestly the longest 60 seconds of my entire life, Andy thought that was the best bit!!!!! Everything rushing through my mind, i couldnt wait for the parachute to open, and when it did i began to enjoy the experience, seeing snow top mountains, green fields, lake wanaka, and Mount Cook, floating gently to the ground, a truely unforgettable experience! I then realised i couldnt see Andy and was relieved that he too was gliding down (attatched to his Manchester Uniter Red parachute) he was also enjoying the whole experience, both landing seconds after each. Andy wanted to go and do it all over again, whilst I was just relieved that we both survived! I can say quite honestly that im so glad i had the courage to do the dive, but i dont need to do it again, i have definatly ticked it off my “Things to do” list!!! (Mum you can relax now because its the most daring thing i will ever do! Sorry Jane, i think its just made Andy more curious, he wants to dive solo next time!!!!!)
Both enjoying Wanaka so much and having time to spear we stayed 4 days, sampling the local lager (Brewski) and meeting Irish couple Emma and Sean! The weather was beautiful here and we enjoyed the farmers market, buying locally made honey and beautiful smoked cheese! We visited Puzzeling World, which really was a brain teaser (Jane you would love it!) here we spent hours getting lost in a crazy maze and both tried to do the puzzels, which i promptly gave up on, Andy on the other hand kept trying to finish them, but in the end he too was defeated, walking out of the place telling me he just wasn’t clever enough, i knew i wasn’t!! So we soaked up the sun relaxing by Lake Wanaka, something which we are both better at, although not brave enough to swim in it, as the water felt icy! Later we headed to the quirky Cinema Paradiso, ( “listed a must visit” in Lonely Planet) and they were right! The cinema was so quirky, with old sofas, airoplane seats and a yellow Morris Minor that you could sit in, although it looked uncomfortable, so we opted for the comfy sofa! Managing not to fall asleep for once, (which i am well known for) we watched ‘Ingloarious Basterds’, (a Quentin Tarrentino film, a bit wierd but both loved it!) During the interval we enjoyed hot home made cookies and ice cream, an early birthday treat for Andy!!! Both really setteled into Wanaka and wanted to stay, we really enjoyed meeting people here, and sat up drinking cheep wine and beer most nights with Emma and Sean. All getting on well we decided we couldnt stay in Wanaka forever and decided to move on to Te Anu (Milford Sound) to move on together, stopping for a night in Queenstown first.
Like every other jouney along the west coast of new zealand, the road to Queenstown from wanaka is beautiful. We took the high road via Cadrona, which is a bustling ski village during the kiwi winter, which has been around for years. We stopped briefly at the Cadrona hotel and would have had lunch in the old fashioned pub attached to it had the budget allowed. Instead we carried on, stopping briefly in Arrowtown, just before Queenstown. This touristy place is an old Gold mining town, full of character and cool little shops. We called in at the local chippy for lunch having battered shark and chips (‘SWEET AS!!’) Another alternative would have been Elephant fish...........I dont think Barrow chippy is ready for that one just yet!!! We checked in at Creekyside campsite in Queenstown and headed into town to check out where everything was ready for Andys 30th Birthday when we come back in a couple of weeks!! We decided not to over kill Queenstown, (bearing in mind that its still only the size of Loughborough with Paris prices!), so carried on to Milford Sound and the FiordLand national park, meeting up with Sean and Emma there after they had had there addrenalin rush on the Nevis Arc Canyon Swing!!!!
Staying up late chatting in there lovely luxurious camper van we all decided to take a boat trip around the Milford Sound, heading off first thing in the morning. The drive there through the Fjordland national park was without doubt the most stunning in new zealand. It is also the most dangerous road in new zealand apparently due to all the rubber necking, but it is no surprise. We stopped to take photos at the mirrored lakes, trying to get the perfect reflection of the mountains in the clear water (cursing every duck that moved!!) We also stopped along the way in the snow where the lads insisted on climbing up on to it, not anticipating quite how icy it was going to be comming down. Andy slipped all the way down, i had visions of him crashing into a rock at the base, luckily for him he missed it JUST!! Milford Sound itself was beautiful, although we all enjoyed the drive there more than the actual boat ride! Its an on going joke with everyone you meet out here, they all say the same, that all there pictures are of waterfalls!!! Milford Sound has many impressive falls and when they pull the boat in underneath one you are invited to collect the water in a cup to drink as it is so pure. By waiting to sample the water collected by the boats crew we managed to avoid getting wet, unlike all the tourists who wanted to get the water themselves and got drenched!!!!Ha!
The drive back was interesting, through a mountain tunnel which is the only way to and from Milford Sound. Here you have to wait at a set of traffic lights for 15 minutes to let the traffic from the other side pass through, although as we waited a truck got stuck inside, so we all had visions of having to sleep on the wrong side of the tunnel in the middle of nowhere, but luckily we managed to pass through eventually, so panic over!
Moving on to Invercargill, we took the so called Scenic route, known by the locals as the ‘windy way’!! It is probably the least scenic route in new zealand sadly and one not to bust a gut to drive!! Trees along the coast had been permanantly forced to grow in the direction of the strong winds, and stopping off at Monkey Bay to climb the rock out at sea (which is only accessable at low tide) was challenging. Invercargill has little to boast about, other than being the birth place of Burt Munroe and the ‘worlds fastest indian’. A nice little movie with Anthony Hopkins will show you all you need to see of Invercargill!!!!
On the way out, we headed to Bluff, (Invercargills port) one of the most southerly points in New Zealand, featuring the Stirling Point sign post, indicting distances to cities around the world, where Andy got him self stuck inside a big replica chain whilst being too curious! Still with Sean and Emma we voted to dirve the rest of the Scenic Route to Dunedin, in the hope of spotting some penguins along the way. No success on that front but the scenery was fantastic and we stopped at Slope Point for lunch. The four of us made our way to the spectacular spure of rock known as the most Southerly Point on the South Island, visiting it quickly and moving on when we realised that we were very much standing on the edge of a huge cliff with massive waves crashing beneith us, noticing that there were huge cracks in the ground, the next piece to fall prehaps!!!!?????? Back in the Uk the area just wouldn’t be allowed to be open, out here though health and safety dosnt exist!!
Arrived in Dunedin, temperatures dropped again and all feeling the cold, we headed to a local pub to watch the All Whites qualify against Baraine for the World Cup. Although atmosphere pretty flat compared with a game back home, we all got acosted by a load of drunken old boys from a bowls team, obviously on an all dayer!! All Manchester United fans so Andy was Happy!!!!!
We are now in Timaru, having done just about all we had wanted to in New Zealand. Sean and Emma have departed for Oz where we have all booked to meet up again for Christmas and New Year. Andy is trying to perfect his summersault on the bouncy cushion!!! Speak soon!!!