Franz Josef Glacier.

Franz Josef Glacier.

It was to be another day for tramping with a walk up to the Franz Josef Glacier which is slightly further around Mt Cook from the Fox Glacier we visited yesterday. Except for the hill to and from the car park down onto the valley floor it was a fairly easy 2 kilometre walk.

Again we were lucky with the weather getting a good sunny morning but by the time we started to retrace our footsteps back to the car ominous black clouds were gathering further down the valley.

Dot standing at the foot of this magnificent waterfall near Franz Josef Glacier.

While at the viewing area some 500 metres from the glacier we spotted large chunks of ice in the river bobbing about in a sheltered pool. I then spotted a larger piece perched high and dry on a rock which eventually slid off back into the water. Robin then drew our attention to an even larger ice berg, for the want of a better word, which had washed down the river and become wedged on an underwater obstacle. You wouldn’t have wanted that to fall on your head that’s for sure.

Like little ants people traipsing 2 kilometres across the valley floor to get to the Franz Josef Glacier.

Back at camp we all needed to rest our weary legs and feet after 2 days of tramping. While having lunch we noted the black clouds intensifying and the mountains slowly disappeared from view. We haven’t had any rain but you can bet that it will be wet up on the mountains.

A huge ice block broken away from the Franz Josef Glacier perched on a rock.