All Summer Long

We walked to Franz Josef Glacier from our accommodation in its township. The route took us over a bridge that’s on the edge of collapse (in line with Nicola’s nerves crossing it) and beside a river coloured with that unique shade of blue we have found time and time again in the mountainous areas of New Zealand. The reason for this was explained to us on the coach to Milford Sound – the water’s milky quality is given by a fine sediment called rock flour, caused by grinding rocks beneath a glacier. So if you spot the milky, silky, light blue water, you can expect to find a glacier somewhere above.

Continuing along the river and into the sentient forests of outer Westland Tai Poutini, through the trees with the birds that collaboratively sound like droids, you eventually arrive at a car park with a map and a sign that guides you through further trees and over vast expanses of rock in which the glacier used to be and has since retreated through history. Without paying for a guide or heli-hike we arrived just below the glacier, and the view was awesome – we really didn’t expect to get so close! Legend says that it was formed from Hinehukatere’s frozen tears which she cried in grief when her husband fell from the mountain. The immense view warrants the story.

The snaking drive from Wanaka through Mount Aspiring on the way to Franz Josef allowed us to do a quick tour of the waterfalls on foot, finally emerging at Roaring Billy’s wide river. We ended our day at the hot pools, submerged in the privacy of a plastic clam shell, totally relaxed and probably looking as though we had been shot. Bliss.