Franz Josef Glacier

Firstly, I just discovered today that I've been spelling it wrong this whole time, it's Josef, not Joseph. So anyway, this morning I woke up at 7:30, super super tired, and considering bagging the whole 'climbing a glacier' thing- except I'd already paid for it, and it wasn't cheap. I chose the half day hike, versus the full day hike, and I'm very happy with my choice. There were 50 of us, split into 4 groups, according to fitness. I chose to be in group 3 (1 being the most fit) because I'm tired, and it's not like once you're up there you can just be like, oh you know what, I think I'm going to turn around and go back. So in group 3 (the fast-slow group, as we called our selves) I was very comfortable, and there were several people far slower than I, which I was glad about (you never want to be the one holding everyone up). It was supposed to rain all day, but it ended up being an absolutely gorgeous day. Aaand I didn't get a sunburn! Miracles do happen. My camera died about halfway up the glacier, and I still managed to take around 20 pictures. I have got to get this picture taking thing under control. I took around 200 in Milford Sound (which I have since whittled down to around 100) and I know if my camera battery hadn't died, I would have been somewhere around that again with the glacier. Franz Joseph (and Fox glacier, a bit south of Franz) are one of only two places in the world where a glacier is receeding into a rainforest, the other in Patagonia, Argentina, so it was quite a special thing to see. All in all the hike was around 4 or 5 hours, and about 6 miles (10 km). I chatted with a nice young Irish couple for most of the day, they were on their honeymoon. Tomorrow I leave for Greymouth, which I've heard from A LOT of people sucks, but it's a stop over on the way to I think Takaka, possibly Nelson again but I'm trying to avoid that since I've already spent so much time there. I decided to forgo the train because it just requires too much backtracking, and I can feel the money/time slipping away as it is. I start camping tomorrow too- hopefully the rain will stay away for a few more days. I'm excited to get the tent out and put it to some good use! I'm also trying to line up some couch surfing and another wwoofer placement- I'll keep you updated!