Friday 12th March

We started the day with a visit to the Hokititi Gorge. The weather was showery so we were virtually alone. We had a short trek through the jungle to the gorge which had the most piercing aqua marine water; apparently the water comes from the glaciers and the colour is caused by alluvial silt. There was a rope bridge to cross and a short walk to get a little lower down the gorge. We then spent the next few hours driving south to the Franz Josef glacier. The mountains were all in cloud so we did not think we would get to see it, however, by magic the weather cleared as we approached the area. We drove as close as we could and then walked almost to the ice cave at the foot of the glacier. It is difficult to describe the grandeur and we have lots of great photos – 2 are shown to give you a flavour! As expected the glacier is a major tourist attraction so it is quite busy in the small ‘village’ at the foot of the mountain. We had a good meal in a very noisy pub restaurant with helicopters taking off from just down the street. Tomorrow we will have a brief look at the Fox Glacier followed by a long drive through the mountains to Wanaka.