Pacifica Trip Diary – Day 13

Day 13: January 20, 2014

Today I took a helicopter to the Frans Joseph Glacier.  Once there, we hiked on, in and around the glacier for two hours.  We were kept warm by wearing heavy rubberized boots with spikes attached for walking, gloves, hat, heavy coats and rain paints to keep dry.  It was an interesting and rewarding experience.  During our visit to the glacier, chunks of ice were dropping from a cliff.  It sounded like an explosion each time it happened.  Thankfully we were not near the dropping ice.

Helicopter to Frans Joseph Glacier

Frans Joseph Glacier

Falling Glacier

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I returned early and rested on a park bench while waiting for my colleagues who took a hike up the mountains overlooking the glacier.  By the sounds of their day, I had the easier trip.

We headed out from the Frans Joseph Glacier to Bruce Bay.  Another beautiful deserted beach along the west coast.  There was a Maori tradition that those who died were put onto floating devices and sent out to sea.  Now, people write notes on rocks along the shore.  Some are of the type that “Kilroy was here.”  Others expressed sentiments of love for one another, memories of lost ones, etc.  After our brief visit here we were on the road again to another short hike and beach.

Bruce Bay

Bruce Bay Shore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked through a swampy forrest.  The scenery was amazing.  There was a type of tree that was as straight as an arrow and grew to about 800 years.  Even here in the swamp, the water was crystal clear reflecting back to the sky.  The swamp was a brief walk to another beach on the west coast.  It was exceptionally beautify and amazing to me to see so much deserted beach.  The water was cold and there are only 4 million inhabitants in the entire South Island.

Swamp Ferns

Swamp Walk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked through a swampy forrest.  The scenery was amazing.  There was a type of tree that was as straight as an arrow and grew to about 800 years.  Even here in the swamp, the water was crystal clear reflecting back to the sky.  The swamp was a brief walk to another beach on the west coast.  It was exceptionally beautify and amazing to me to see so much deserted beach.  The water was cold and there are only 4 million inhabitants in the entire South Island.

West Coast Beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We pushed on to our accommodations.  There were mountains surrounding us and cows grazing in the pastures around us.