The Glaciers

Well, did it pour with rain through the night! The answer is Yes it did, and with a vengeance! It was still raining when I got up and the cloud was low - enough to cover the mountains! So today was to be a day of rest! I planned to drive to Franz Josef Glacier and walk to the view point to take a photo or two, then to do a bit of the walk round Lake Matheson through the rain forest. I even thought I might buy an umbrella! I bought one here last time! Then I planned on spending time with my as yet unopened book, back at the youth hostel.

It's a 5km drive to the carpark below FJG, part way alongside the river which was roaring down under the bridge that carries the main road. As I turned the corner and drove alongside the river, it was quite eery seeing the mist rising from the water and edging the river with what looked like a dried ice effect! The water itself was grey, and reminded me of liquid cement roaring along the deeper channels! About 2km from the car park another sign announces that the glacier reached that point in 1750. It apparently advances as well as retreats, and it all depends on how much snow fell at the top of the glacier 5 years ago as to which it does. That's a comparatively short time as other glaciers need about 15 years to show the change!

Not that I saw as much of the glacier as this, but wonder of wonders, the clouds WERE lifting - albeit slowly - and the sky had decidedly more blue in it! I took my photos after a short walk to the view points, feeling rather pleased that I had after all got to see both glaciers. I call them Glass-ears, but here they are Glayshers! What do you call them?

Having looked again at the map I realised I'd have to drive back over the twisty - and I MEAN twisty - roads to Fox to find the road to Lake Matheson. I wonder what made me think it was from FJ? The cloud was definitely lifting as I sat in the Matheson cafe, fortifying myself for the walk round the lake. The first part of the walk takes you across the Clearwater Bridge, the river very aptly named, and into the rain forest where a superb path winds and twists its way, reaching the jetty about half an hour later. Lovely views of the lake, though the best views of the mountains are further on. These are views of Mount Cook/Aoraki that on very still days are beautifully reflected in the lake. Not so clear in this picture, but you can see how lovely the lake is.

The best view of Aoraki is from Reflection Island where a duckboard and lookout have been specially constructed to allow walkers to reach the island. By now the clouds were pretty high, like in the photo here, but wisps of cloud floated across the high peaks. I must have taken dozens of photos - just in case that was the best view I was to get! In fact I really got some splendid shots, though Aoraki kept her hat on the top of her head all the time, but Mount Tasman next to her came into full view eventually. (A Japanese man also at the Reflection Island viewpoint thought it was called Mount Atlas.)

Mount Cook is the peak on the left and Tasman is on the right in this fabulous view. To be honest I think I rather liked the view better with the wisps of cloud floating around.

I continued round the lake through more rain forest - has rain forest ever been more photographed - and finally got back to Clearwater Bridge and the carpark. I'd thought way back that if the weather was good when I reached FJ I'd go on a a heli-trip over the glaciers so as I could now hear the buzz of little planes and the more raucous sound of helicopters that had been absent in the morning, I raced back to Fox to see if I could book a flight! It needs three passengers before a helicopter can fly and I was the only one wanting the next flight. Maybe there would be more, so I waited at the cafe next door, trying out butterscotch and walnut tart and apple and feijoa juice (I first met feijoas at Margaret's - the fruit that smells like the deep heat stuff you rub into aching muscles to relieve back pain) . No-one booked for the flight so I was offered a flight tomorrow morning. So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and anything else I can cross, that the weather will still be OK tomorrow. I doubt it will, because the forecast was bad for today and two good days in a row will be doubtful (well at home in Scotland they would).

So all being well..... this could be me tomorrow!

Talk again soon.