After Christmas we met up with M&A at Franz Joseph and they kept us warm, dry and well fed and watered. And we really needed it. It was pouring with the most torrential rain I have seen on this trip, and that includes monsoon season in SE Asia. But it was all worth it in the end and we had a cracking day to go up onto the glacier. I've never done anything like it and probably never will again so it was a bit of an adventure for me. The boys went ahead with the fast group, but A stayed with me in the slower bunch so I didn't have to walk fast and she could take photos. Our guide was good and although it felt like a long walk to get there and a short time on the ice it was a great trip in all. The next day we went and had a look at the Fox glacier, although we didn't go onto it. I couldn't have managed it since my legs were killing me!
From there we went to Wanaka where we planned to spend Hogmanay with M&A. Unfortunately the rest of New Zealand has also planned to go there and it was a wee bit busy. After deciding that everywhere else would be the same we headed off to Glenorchy, a little town of four hundred people about forty minutes from Queenstown. Luckily we had great weather and could enjoy the scenery. The area around there was used a lot in the LotR movies and judging by the amount of horse muck it must have been for the scenes in Rohan. Hogmanay was quiet and enjoyable. The first of January is the Gman's birthday and he broke with tradition for the first time in half his life and didn't have a hangover or get drunk on his bday. Someone around here must be a good (?) influence on him.
Happy New Year to all. Hope it's a good one for youse. xxxxx
