Distance cycled: 54km from Ottos corner campsite to Franz Josef Glacier (hiking) and on to Fox Glacier, South Island, New Zealand.
Average speed: 14.8km/h
Moving Time: 3h37m
Elevation Ascended: 1648m
Total Distance on Current trip: 2,928km
Distance until I have cycled the circumference of Earth: 5,479km
Franz Josef Glacier was seen from across the lake where we camped, nestled between two tall peaks where many tourist come to see the recession of the huge amount of ice that is the glacier.
It wasn't much of a demanding walk to get to the point that is the closest the public can get to the site which was highly disappointing as it was 1/4 of a kilometer away from it.
I have seen many glaciers around the world so this wasn't all that impressive but taking the reaction of Spencer, as it was his first experience and encounter with one, he was stunned by it.
If the weather is pleasant and clear it is worthwhile to see because as I mentioned before the hike getting there isn't difficult.
What was difficult however was the three peaks we climbed over the mountains to get to Fox Glacier (and town) only 25km away. Here I was getting to see Marlieke again as she had booked us into a hostel for two nights.
The strenuous climbs over the mountains were infact the most exhausting and demanding climbs I have experienced so far in New Zealand. But with determination to see Marlieke again I peddled strong and got well in front of Spencer. This gave me time to play a little practical joke on him by placing a dead marsupial roadkill I found on the side of road and making it sit upright holding a note saying "HELLO SPENCER". Yes, I know it was kind of sick but we both found it funny.
Arriving in Fox Glacier town we found the hostel easily, it is a very small town with a very expensive supermarket, and relaxed for the afternoon but the relaxation was soon interrupted by the consumption of alcohol and the mass of pasta we had scoffed into our faces for dinner crippling us for a good potion of the evening.
Drunk, Marlieke, Spencer, Marius (a big German dude we befriended) and a bunch of others we encountered at this hostel including the Danish guy I met on his first day of cycling at the north cape and two American girls who Spencer met at the airport when he arrived in Auckland went to check out the glow worms just down the track. These were awesome to see, these glow worms illuminate themselves to catch their prey in strings of sticky saliva and can be seen in many places around New Zealand.
On the way to Franz Joseph Glacier
The hike up to see the Glacier
The little surprise that I left Spencer on the side of the road
The Magical Glow worms
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