Franz Josef Glacier

We also came across a pretty big ice cave/passageway that we had to step down into and then slide through on all fours/on your side to get out the other side. It was pretty tricky and very slippery but equally fun. I found that I had to remind myself during these little adventures to also look around me and take in what I was actually clambering through as it would be easy not to. The shapes and curves, the different shades of the blue ice, it is beautiful.

Rob made this beautiful section of the glacier slightly less graceful when he stumbled on through and decided to toss his pole forward and let go of it, only to see it slide away down the slippery ice and fall almost out of reach. One of the other guys managed to grab it with their pole for him so at least he didn't feel stupid for too long! We also managed to capture this moment seconds before my gopro ran out of battery!

Soon enough, after walking through yet more crevasses and taking in the sheer awesomeness of this strange landscape, we were back near the helipad and waiting for our flight. This was where we wished more time had been set aside earlier for photos as we ended up waiting for quite some time, surrounded by towering walls of ice, for others to make their way off the ice. We also got an explanation of blue ice at this point which started out good, but then lost me and Rob completely when the guide tried to tell us if there were more bubbles in the ice it might look red. This was shortly after she had correctly explained that when there lots of bubbles it scatters the light more and leads to white looking ice.

Anyhoo, eventually we made it to the helipad and removed out crampons. It felt weird to have them off, a lot lighter but also we had got used to being much more sure footed on the ice than we now were. We also had to contend with the wind from the helicopters again and I almost got blown over this time!
Heading back I got the front seat to myself and made the most of the views once again, only with Robs phone instead of my gopro this time. Taking off this way you really realise how steep the glacier is as you lift off and then drop a little as you go down. We took a different route this time, following a path that went more down the middle between the two mountains that flanked the glacier. We could see the river all the way to the sea and the pilot explained how a lot of the lakes we could see were formed from large chunks of ice that had once broken off and melted, long, long ago. It was a stunning view, and crazy to think how close we are to the sea when we have just been walking on ice.
Approaching the landing pad we were treated to a large and very steep turn that practically had us sideways which was fun. It must be a pretty awesome job getting to fly this all day.

We were thankful to finally get out of the boots, especially as my feet were wet and cold and headed straight for the hot pools next door that we got free entry to. We couldn't wait!
Compared to the last lot of hot pools we had visited, which were in the middle of nowhere, smelly and muddy, these were the total opposite. A very luxurious version, but then it was also far less natural and housed more people as a result. It might not have had the same authenticity as the other pools, but it was still delightfully warm and was a great place to just relax.Read more