#NewZealand17 Franz Josef

I will describe Sir Cedric's "Chateau Franz" as a luxury hostel. Free soup, free breakfast, charging points by the beds, a hot tub, and curtains around your bunk. The mattresses were even comfortable!

At 5am I woke up to a funny noise. I opened my curtain and there, less than a metre away, was a haggard white face, looming out from under a dark hood, looking directly at me. How I didn't scream, I don't know. The elderly Scottish man in the bunk below me continued to look at me for perhaps half a second, before ducking into his bunk, I assume removing his hood as he did so.

I did not really sleep after that, but soon daylight came and I scampered out to get my free breakfast.

I waited an hour and a half for the boys to come and join me, by which point I was getting unusually hangry, and fighting the urge to smash my empty plate over the heads of everyone in the queue in front of me. Luckily I resisted, and in time I got to the waffle machine, where I made the most pathetic sloppy breakfast waffle known to man (and eaten anyway). Two slices of toast and a better cooked waffle later, Max headed out on his big trek, while Blake and I began a leisurely wander around Franz Josef village.

Franz Josef is just beautiful. This is illustrated by the view from the petrol station. The fact that a view like this is wasted on a petrol station demonstrates that this is a village where such a privilege is taken for granted.

The village is small, and Blake and I soon came to the hot pools, where we decided to spend the morning. 

It was very indulgent but so relaxing. There were three pools, at 40°, 38° and 36°. The last feeling barely walmer than the hot summers day around us, and the first feeling like walking into a dreamy bath, instantly relaxing (although I couldn't stay in it for long.) All of this was shaded by huge canvas sails, but there were no walls, so the ferns from the forest around us leaned in over the pool, and all around we could hear cicadas. It was absolutely beautiful.

We couldn't stay all day though, as this was a big day, with the first of our major excursions of the trip! At 12.30, Blake returned to the hostel to change, and I went to the only shop in town, to buy us a tear and share bread for lunch. I also bought icecreams, which was a mistake, as I had underestimated how long Blake would take. Then when he did return, I realised that the bread I'd bought was stuffed with meat, so I had to exchange it for a herb bread, and we had a piece each (and our melted icecreams) before checking in for our glacier hike and helicopter flight.

We had to wear their special boots (which for some reason made me very anxious) and little bags with crampons in, with little room for anything else. Blake and I had brought suitable coats. Everyone else had to borrow those as well, and some borrowed waterproof trousers. When we were all kitted out, we had a safety briefing and then went to our helicopters. I took a little longer than the others putting my bag away, and when I joined the group someone slapped a pink wristband on me and told me I was in the front seat! I began to ask if Blake was too but the man had gone. Blake explained it was to do with weight distribution and he would be in the back. I had never forseen that we would be seperated.

 I was just overwhelmingly excited. I wasn't really nervous. I figured it would be a great way to die if anything went wrong! Blake had told me the helicopter would be really jerky so I was braced for the worst.

As the pilot started up the machine, our guide (who was unsettlingly similar to an old flame of mine) buckled me into the front seat, and soon we had the amazing sensation of taking off in a helicopter. So much smoother than a plane! We flew over beautiful mountain scenery, following the glacial stream up into the mountains above Franz Josef, to find the previous group's helicopter was still parked in our spot, so we were taken on a quick tour of the mountains. The pilot circled at what felt like a 45° angle which was so much fun, and we flew over a hiker outside a bothy which looked like a dolls house, before eventually landing (again much smoother than expected) on the ice.

 I have put a lot of text in this post, so here are some pictures to break it up:

It was absolutely fantastic. Blake said he's only ever had three experiences which have bowled him over like this glacier hike did. I would like to thank my grandparents who gave me holiday money towards it. If they hadn't I think I would have been put off by the expense and I'm so glad I didn't miss out!

When we returned, Blake and I enjoyed some more of his birthday cake in the hot tub, and then I dfied off and went for a walk out of town to see the glacier from the ground. It was a pleasant walk with scenery like this

Apparently it is one of New Zealand's best short walks (1 hour each way). I also got to wander through some New Zealand forest, which I think is awesome:

 And the hike ended at what should have been the end of the glacier.
However, in the last nine years, since 2008, the glacier has shrunk by the same amount as it did in the previous hundred years. Therefore there was barely any glacier to be seen from the viewing point.
An information board showed the Glacier's progress as it shrank up the mountain, and the predicted size for the year 2100 looked almost exactly the same as what I saw before me.

Our guide told me that 95% of the world's glaciers are in decline. I found this quite disturbing.

I walked back as the sun set over the mountains, stopping to drink from the river on my way. Apart from the volcanic, sulphurous rivers, almost all of the rivers in New Zealand seem to be good to drink from.

I returned to our hostel where a campfire was burning. I made myself up a pasta dinner and we were shortly joined by a wild possum!

It was extremely cute, but they are not a native animal to New Zealand, and cause havoc for ground nesting birds, including kiwis, so are regarded as a pest to be killed at any opportunity.

We had two in our camp that night but I'm glad to say both survived.