We left Queenstown early this morning en route to Franz Josef. The day was brilliant blue skies and perfect cool temps. Literally every turn provided eye-popping beauty. The mountains in New Zealand are rough and craggy and abundantly adorned with brilliant white snowy peaks. They seemed endless as we made our way south. Jordan pointed out that we were closer to the south pole than we were to the equator i. e. “way down under!”
Upon arriving at Franz Josef we had a short time to stretch our legs and backs before beginning an informative hike to the Franz Josef Glacier. We experienced the same thing here that we previously encountered in Alaska; a sad journey in memoriam to a dying giant. Yes, the Franz Joseph glacier like many others on the planet is melting. It's staggering to see how much has been lost in just the latter portion of my lifetime.
Our guide, Tim, was a twenty-eight year old Kiwi that was bursting with love and passion for this land he loves so dearly. We were treated to his stories about the native people, the flora and fauna of his native land. It was a great day indeed!
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| Learning from Tim |
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| Nearing the glacier |
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| Glacier ice that floated downstream |
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