Well that wasn't so bad. We though we'd have an eight hour drive today but turned out to be five and a half. We are now just on the edge of the Abel Tasmin National park in the north of the South Island. The trip was enhanced as we stopped at a second hand shop and bought "The Pet Shop Boys - Introspective" in honour of Adrian and Sarah's great news of their engagement. "You are always on my mind, you are always on my mind."

2 days ago we arrived at the Fox Glacier on the west coast, after driving through some amazing mountain scenery with a waterfall every two feet. The reason for the abundance of falls was the torrential rain. This had also washed away all the tracks up to the Fox Glacier and meant we couldn't see it. After all that rain it must be in mint condition.

We carried on to the YHA at the Franz Joseph Glacier juut 25 km further on and stayed there the night. Up early to sunshine and a days trek on the glacier. It was great, unlike the trek in Argentina, we got into the crevasses on the ice falls. There was quite a bit of hanging around as the guides had to cut new paths through the ice as the old ones had been washed through. Definitely worth waiting tho....

So the galcier....



and the trek.....



Back in time for a sauna and then we met Kim for dinner. Her friend dind't win Shattered then.

We are camping outside the Abel Tasmin tonight, then walking in tomorrow for one night camping and one night in a lodge.

On a medical note, Nomes has hurt her knee a bit and I grazed my knuckle on the ice, luckily the elbow is beararing up. Moose has toothache and I'm not liking the sound of the rental car's insides.

I reckon we'll be right tho.

  ¶ 2:14 AM