Fox Glacier

After our long drive from Mount Cook, we finally arrived in Fox Glacier. We got our key, and then hit up a local bar for a quick drink. It was quick. We were thirsty and since we still needed to eat dinner, we got through our pints pretty fast. And since nothing was open in the very small town we found ourselves in, it was instant noodle time. Either that or dry muesli.

The following morning, I headed out for a run. I saw there was a trail nearby and decided to hit that up. A guy saw me running that way and told me where to go, and gave me the lowdown on the trail, which was great. I spent a few miles going slightly uphill through the rainforest, yes rainforest, until I made it to a swing bridge. I do really like the swing bridges. They are kind of fun to go across, especially while running, and they give some great views. I went further up the trail and eventually decided I needed to get back to eat breakfast and meet Verena, so we could check out Fox Glacier. Even though I may have already gotten a sneak peak.

After eating and sorting out our accommodations in Greymouth, we followed the path that I had taken earlier that morning. We walked through the rainforest, and it was just as quiet as it was when I had gone running.

The rainforest.

Instead of going across the swing bridge (yet), like I did earlier, we followed the path to Fox Glacier. We passed by some waterfalls, a pool of very clear water, and another glacial river.

Waterfalls.

We continued on our way and arrived at the start of the trail up to Fox Glacier. The weather wasn't great, but since it wasn't raining, we were happy. We moved quickly up the trail. I really enjoyed hiking with Verena since she also likes to move quickly. I was the one actually bringing up the rear since I would stop often to take pictures. We made it up to the glacier and had some very nice views. Although I was hoping to be a bit closer. I've seen a couple of glaciers in Alaska, and got way closer then. But since Fox Glacier is up in a very uneven, rock-filled valley, it's not safe to get any closer. Apparently 2 people were killed up there a few years ago since they went over the rope and got too close to the glacier. There was a bit of cloud cover and mist, but we got a pretty decent view.

Fox Glacier.

We headed back the way we came after a short lunch break. On our way to the swing bridge, a couple of guys actually stopped and gave us a short ride to the trail. Which was nice. We didn't go far, but it was a nice return on the hitchhikers we picked up. Even though we weren't looking for a ride. We headed to the swing bridge and had another photoshoot.

Hanging (swinging) around.

We hiked through some more rainforest, made our way through an empty river bed, and up some stairs, where we got another view of the glacier. At first I couldn't tell the difference between the glacier and the mist. But I put my glasses on and changed the setting on my camera. We eventually turned around and made our way back to the hostel.

More of Fox Glacier, but further away.

We spent about 4 hours hiking around and covered around 12 kilometers. Maybe more. My fitbit said I did 16 miles for the day, which included my run of course. After a short rest at the hostel and some tea, we drove to Lake Matheson to do a very short hike to a great viewpoint with a reflection of the mountains in the lake. The weather still wasn't great, but we were able to see a nice reflection under the conditions. I can only imagine what it's like when the lake is very still and the sun is out with all the mountains on display.

Lake Matheson.

The following morning, we packed up out things, ate breakfast, made our lunch, and drove the 30 minutes to Franz Josef. It was time to see another glacier. It was pretty similar to Fox Glacier. Same same, but different. We headed into the rainforest, and got another nice reflection, but this time at Peter's Pool. It was a short walk, and since the sun was shining, we wanted to take advantage in case the weather changed. It was the best we were going to get. Which was still pretty nice. 

Peters Pool. 

We then made our way along the path to Franz Josef Glacier. It was definitely more crowded as it's the more popular of the 2 glaciers to visit. And eventually we saw why. It was much larger than Fox Glacier and it seemed we were closer, but that wasn't really true. We got as close as we could and then climbed up some rocks to get a better view. Don't worry, we didn't go beyond the rope. We were lucky we had some blue sky to distinguish between clouds and the glacier. Unlike with Fox Glacier. 

Franz Josef Glacier.

We enjoyed our lunch, and headed back to the car. It was time to get on the road to Greymouth. As we were leaving town, we picked up another hitchhiker. There was actually a 2nd hitchhiker, but we didn't have room for him. I'm sure he got a ride, but I felt a little bad we were leaving him behind. The guy we picked up was German and didn't mind that we played Adele over and over. We dropped him off a couple of hours later, and shortly after, we arrived at our next destination.

I'm glad I was able to see both glaciers, and would have loved to gotten closer or even gone on it. But helicopter rides and hiking on the glaciers are just too pricey. The glaciers were still impressive to see, but at the same time, it was a bit sad. They are evidence of global warming, no matter what people say. Someday they will be completely be gone, and much sooner than they should be. I'm glad I was able to see them in their stark beauty before that day comes.