Walking on ice

So. Last post was from Portage, where we were chilling nicely and not doing very much. From there, we headed up to Abel Tasman - a paradise of golden white beaches and sparkling blue green seas. We spent a day tramping part of the Abel Tasman track; not as much as we might have liked, but still enough to enjoy said beaches and lots of lush national parkland. It really is a spectacular spot. We took a water taxi from Marahau up to Bark Bay and then walked down to Anchorage via Torrent Bay. As ever, lots of photos will be forthcoming on Flickr .. when we find somewhere with a reliable wireless connection (grrr).

From Abel Tasman, we headed southwest to Westport. We stayed at Birds Ferry Lodge just outside town, and it was the most beautifully-appointed cottage complete with outside bath and fabulous views out to the Tasman Sea. We spent a day journeying north from there to Karamea and from there on to Oparara - many miles of unsealed road later, we arrived at the limestone arches which were probably worth the very long drive ... just about. It certainly felt off the beaten track. On the way home we headed out to Tauranga Bay where there's a seal colony, and got to see lots of relatively new pups being protected by aggressive mothers while their fathers lazed around planning their next reproductive exercise. And then had dinner at the very highly recommended Bay House Cafe, watching the surf pound the shore and the sun beginning to go down. Bliss.

Then it was on the road again, this time heading south from Westport, down to Panakaika where the Pancake Rocks are - layered ... rocks which look (at a pinch) like piles of pancakes. We were lucky enough to chance upon a high tide which produces the best blowhole action, so we hovered around enjoying that for a while (and getting pretty wet from the spray). Then it was on through Greymouth (about as exciting as it sounds) and down to glacier country. I got to take my turn at the wheel for this bit and revelled in some of the most unusual driving experiences - single track bridges where road and rail share the same track - marginally unnerving but safe in the knowledge that the trains aren't really that regular and you'd have to be quite unlucky to meet one. A few twists and turns later and we arrived at the Franz Josef Glacier, where we are currently. We're staying in the YHA (a very good one) and so today splashed out on a heli-hiking expedition. Probably the best fun ever - a helicopter takes you high up the glacier, deposits you there with your knowledgeable and amiable guide, and leaves you to hike about on the ice for a couple of hours. We strapped on our crampons and made a pretty good job of it - crawling through wormholes, squeezing through crevasses, and generally marvelling at the wonder of dense, blue, sculpted ice. The glacier moves about 5m a day at the top (if I recall correctly) so the landscape through which you are guided is constantly changing. Unlike some of our group, we were not daft/brave enough to strip off and jump into an ice pool. But once we get them up, you can see pictures of those who did. Brrrrr.

That about sums things up to this point - tomorrow we head for Dunedin via the Haast pass and (hopefully) some mirror lakes and (possibly) some interesting round rocks. Once we get there, we shall have to adapt our minds to the Christmas spirit - quite a leap from the summer holiday vibe, but hopefully some midnight mass at one of Dunedin's cathedrals should point us in the right direction. Bring it on.