We arrived late in the evening and seeing the 'questionable' state of the spare tyre following 300 miles decided to camp it out under the glare of the New Zealands two glaciers... until we could resolve the situation at the local mechanics... unfortuntely the bank holiday meant a couple of days sleeping in the local car park!
While waiting we walked to the base of the Franz Josef Glacier and were wowed by the vastness. They are quite amazing and really made us try to recollect GCSE geography lessons! It just makes you want to touch it... but numerous signs and recent newspaper articles of people killed by falling ice was enough to keep us well behind the barriers.
The Fox Glacier was equally amazing with a different valley approach and enormous cliffs scarred by the monstrous power of ice and gravity. We carried on to lake Mathieson to see the 'view of views'... although it was closed - so we got by with the view next to the 'view of views' - a better view in our opinion and still of Mount Cook.
Onwards to Queenstown... and jobs, of some kind.
