Walking on Ice

Standing in the middle of a massive glacier watching your helicopter rise up into the air before disappearing down the side of the mountain, life becomes serenely surreal as you listen to the ice below your feet groan in response to its ever changing facade. Alone on a glacier with a guide and a group of 5 other explorers we were left with a pair of crampons each and time enough to trek across the glacier in search of the architectural wonders of our magical ice palace.

Luckily for us we were blessed with not only a small group for our heli-hike but hands down the most fantastic guide! Pete Ross, our fearless guide who paved the way for our adventure, was incredibly knowledgeable about the glacier, teaching us about the enormous slab of ice while weaving the ancient legend of the glaciers deep into our hearts.

Stomping around on the ice, making sure to dig our crampons in as deeply as possible, we trekked towards the edge of a glacial waterfall, slid through an ice cave and were even able to taste the cold dry glacier water forming pools both deep and shallow across the surface of the glacier.

Looking back at the photographs it almost doesn't feel real. Taking a scenic helicopter ride up the side of a glacier in order to hike across the ice and find the latest formations all while listening to the ice groaning beneath us. I still can not believe this wasn't a dream!

The Franz Josef Glacier sits in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the Western coast of New Zealand's South Island and is an absolute must on any nature-loving-adventure-seeker's bucket list. Young or old, male or female, kiwi local or tourist, this is an absolute must while in New Zealand. The Heli Hike was hands down the best experience I have ever had while on my travels and it has given me memories I will cherish forever.

Interested in Your Own Franz Josef Adventure?

The glacier is quickly disappearing and will likely be nothing more than a legend in 50 odd years, so do not delay! Make your plans and head out there before it is too late!

Logistics: Why not take a road trip? There are buses and tour groups you can book with to get down there from any of the large cities in the South Island but renting a car and driving there truly is a fabulous way to go! That way you are on your time and can enjoy the amazing drive into and out of Franz.


Accommodation: Franz Josef is definitely a tourist town so there is no shortage of places to stay, from hostels to hotels you can take you pick but my personal suggestion would be the Scenic Hotel. Not only did we have a stunning view, but I had the best nights sleep of the whole journey. The bed was like sleeping on a cloud and even the complimentary shampoo, conditioner, and soap left you feeling cleaner than ever before.

Exploration: There are a few different options for experiencing the glacier but my recommendation is without a doubt the Heli Hike with the Franz Josef Glacier Guides. The scenic tour followed by the two hour hike is enough to satisfy without overwhelming anyone. Flying half way up the glacier and hiking across it while learning the history behind it is fascinating and truly a once in a lifetime experience. While other helicopter tours will take you up for a snow landing, this one allows you to really experience the glacier in all of her glory!


Wanting to explore the world of the Kiwi's for yourself? Read about the rest of my adventures in New Zealand to learn from my experiences and get some great tips!

Walking trail in Franz Josef

Arriving at the Helipad 

Scenic Helicopter Tour

View of the Glacial Waterfall from Above

Finally Landed and Standing on the Glacier!

Our Awesome Guide Pete Scoping Out a Path

Taking a Shortcut by Sliding Through the Ice

Traces of the mountain below the glacier beginning to surface as the glacier melts.

Standing in front of an amazing ice cave with my 'fella' explorer.

Heading back down the glacier towards the landing site to await the helicopter.

View from the chopper on the flight back to Franz, Notice the path formed by the glacial melt on the bottom left!

Stars in the Night Sky over the Glacier

Oh So Hoppy!

Travelling around the world, I often find that one of the best ways to get in touch with the local culture is by experiencing the local brew. Hence while travelling through New Zealand I made a point to try the best local pint on offer each night. I had fun sampling the Kiwi specialties, but I quickly found myself becoming particularly partial to a beer called Radler from the Monteith's Brewing Co. The Radler bier is light on the hops with a zip of lemony flavor and is so refreshing it could melt all your stress away. In fact, I enjoyed the beer so much that when I wasn't consuming my non-alcoholic Kiwi drink of choice, L&P, I would find myself ordering a Radler. Due to our new found infatuation with this tasty concoction of hops & grain we decided to dedicate a stop in Greymouth to visit the Monteith's Brewing Co.

The Monteith's brewery is a gorgeous little bar/restaurant & brewery in a tiny seaside town. If you are lucky enough to attend one of the four tours a day, you can journey behind the scenes in stylish wellies to learn how beer is created in Monteith's Country.

Boasting a fantastic menu and tasty beer it is not just an educational stop for beer enthusiasts but a gastro-indulgence as well. Enticing tapas fill the menu along with their complimentary brew making it easy to order either the right food to go with your beer or the right beer to go with your food.

Unfortunately for us, we arrived as one tour had finished and several hours before the next was scheduled to start so we ordered our sampler rack and sat down to set our taste buds off on a bubbly adventure. Each wall has its own beer theme to educate or inspire guests as they consume whatever tasty indulgence they have chosen so although we had missed the tour we were not deprived of our hops & grain education. Our beer tasting came complete with a detailed explanation of the secrets behind the flavors of the six signature beers and the walls provided fascinating information about the history of the brewery.

By the time we had finished enjoying the delicious beer and mouthwatering munchies we were bubbling with joy and ready to spend the rest of the day on the beach. The Monteith's brewery was a definite highlight for both of us on our New Zealand trip and I would heartily recommend it to anyone making their way around New Zealand!

Starlight

Having found myself caught in the whirlwind that we call life, I find myself dreaming of my adventures and wishing life was always a series of giggles and grins. Yet, how can we know what it means to be happy if we never experience sadness? How can we appreciate true joy if we never experience pain?

No matter how smooth the sailing, you must always be ready for that rogue wave which is sure to come. Life throws obstacles at you to see how you will endure, how you will overcome them. Everyone faces different obstacles throughout life and those who refuse to get knocked down by them come out the other side ever stronger. 

With the last slew of waves that have been crashing my way I have been using my memories from the past and my dreams for the future to pull me through. On my trip to New Zealand I traveled new distances, reached new heights, and learnt much about myself (some of which I hadn't 't even realized until now.)

Driving 1500 miles in a hire car, hiking up mountains, trekking across glaciers, swimming in geothermal waters, and walking in the footsteps of hobbits my love for our world was reborn. As is to be expected, everything did not always go as planned. Wild weather seemed to be following us no matter where we went and we often found ourselves having arrived at our destination hidden amongst clouds of swirling rain.

I had been so excited to visit Lake Pukaki & Tekapo so I could look upon "The Lonely Mountain" from "Lake Town" however, when we arrived the mountain was hidden by a wall of clouds. Disappointed to be missing out on the Hobbit filming location's "gem" we were not going to let our spirits join the gloomy skies. So, despite little hope of the skies clearing, we decided to go for a day hike to the top of Mount John.

We wandered through the town, stopping to play in front of the lake and admire the views beyond. The infamous Church of the Good Shepherd lay just off in the distance so we made our way over to it before doubling back and beginning our hike up Mount John. The Church of Good Shepherd is a beautiful little church in the heart of one of the world's most beautiful locations. Even on a cloudy day the church was radiant and one could not help but feel a sense of tranquility around it.

We left the church smiling under spots of sunshine and made our way to the Tekapo spring where we would begin our hike up Mount John. No, the hike was not long, but with our packs it was a welcome challenge, and we grew stronger with every step. Half way up, the skies decided to cool us off and the rain washed away our sweat along with our grip on the ground. As our boots slipped in the mud we trudged the rest of the way up towards the summit of Mount John.

Tekapo is located within a National Dark Sky Reserve, and the summit of Mount John boasts a world renowned observatory and a fabulous little Astro Cafe. Reaching the end of the trail soaked and somewhat winded we enjoyed a well deserved snack while waiting for the invisible sun to set. The sky was a sheer blanket of clouds and we held on to little hope that it would clear to expose a night full of stars to us but ever the optimist we decided to wait nonetheless.

Long after the sun had set we found ourselves sitting under a pitch black sky, the occasional star making an appearance but definitely nothing to write home about. As the rumbling thunder began to roll towards us and lightening began to dance in the distance, it was time to go. We began to pack up our things and suddenly the sky above us opened to reveal the Milky Way Galaxy surrounded by an infinite number of stars. They say that every cloud has a silver lining and ours was a blanket of stars!