The drive to Franz Josef took just over two hours driving through more wonderful scenery, past lakes, rivers and forest-covered mountainsides. During the 170km journey I doubt more than 50 vehicles passed us going the other way once we had cleared the two or three towns between Greymouth and Franz Josef.
The town of Franz Josef exists only to service some of the needs of the tourists who come here to see the glaciers. This it does inadequately and without the glaciers there would be no need for it to exist. Our home for the night is a very comfortable up-market B&B called Westwood Lodge. It has everything we could want except a bath! This is a shame as the bathroom is over 100sq ft and could easily have accommodated one.
The glacier was.....well, a glacier! A huge frozen river carving its way down a mountain a little too slowly for any movement to be observable. So countless trippers walk up to it or climb on it and go......ooh! a glacier, but to be fair, the whole area is dramatic and stunning.
The restaurant at which we chose to eat in FJ started well and then went downhill; good starters, poor main courses (the Muse sent her salmon back. It was grotesquely overcooked.) and over-priced. The Blue Ice cafe gets a big thumbs down - most expensive meal so far this trip and easily the worst.
Finally, there is no phone signal at our lodge and I'm damned if I'll pay $4 per half hour for wi-fi, which is why postings of late have been like London buses.....nothing followed by a string of them within minutes.
Tomorrow we head for Queenstown, Fjordland National Park and Lord of the Rings country. We'll be there before you read this unless we miraculously find a wi-fi or 3G signal en route.
The town of Franz Josef exists only to service some of the needs of the tourists who come here to see the glaciers. This it does inadequately and without the glaciers there would be no need for it to exist. Our home for the night is a very comfortable up-market B&B called Westwood Lodge. It has everything we could want except a bath! This is a shame as the bathroom is over 100sq ft and could easily have accommodated one.
The glacier was.....well, a glacier! A huge frozen river carving its way down a mountain a little too slowly for any movement to be observable. So countless trippers walk up to it or climb on it and go......ooh! a glacier, but to be fair, the whole area is dramatic and stunning.
The restaurant at which we chose to eat in FJ started well and then went downhill; good starters, poor main courses (the Muse sent her salmon back. It was grotesquely overcooked.) and over-priced. The Blue Ice cafe gets a big thumbs down - most expensive meal so far this trip and easily the worst.
Finally, there is no phone signal at our lodge and I'm damned if I'll pay $4 per half hour for wi-fi, which is why postings of late have been like London buses.....nothing followed by a string of them within minutes.
Tomorrow we head for Queenstown, Fjordland National Park and Lord of the Rings country. We'll be there before you read this unless we miraculously find a wi-fi or 3G signal en route.
