
Franz Joseph is a picturesque little township on the west coast of
New Zealand’s south island. Backpackers flock there to experience a day of
hiking on the glacier. Snow melt runs off the glacier, creating a cloudy blue
river, which trundles past the town. The glacier, named after Franz Joseph I
emperor of Austria in 1865 is 12km long. It is located in the Westland Tai
Poutini National Park amid lush temperate rainforest.
We all boarded the red glacier guide bus, which took
the winding roads to the beginning of the trek. Excitement ran through the group
as we were given an initial briefing by Iain who would be our guide for the
day.
We tramped through the lush New Zealand rainforest.
Palm trees and ferns overhung the muddy track. Native birds such as fantails and
robins flitted along beside us, singing their happy songs. Somewhere in the
distance a babbling stream could be heard. On emerging from the forest we
crossed the shingled wasteland to the foot of the glacier. The stones appeared
to be speckled with gold dust which glittered as the sun’s rays caught them. Water ran off the glacier in cascades and flowed to the main
river, churning up silt as it went. The mass of ice towered above us, simmering
blue in the morning sunlight. Small groups of hikers traversed the ice, like
ants in the distance.
The group gathered at a sign which warned people not to climb on
the ice without a guide. A single red rope, barred our entry, horror stories
about individuals who had ignored the warnings circulated. People took photos.
We waited for further instructions, staring up at the glacier in
awe.

For the rest of the day we explored tunnels, crevasses and ice
caves. The glacial landscape changes almost daily with the glaciers unusually
fast flow. There was a huge gap in the ice; where the glacier had cracked and
shifted slightly, making a crevice for us to explore. Inside the ice was dense;
the giant blue sides loomed above us, creating a shadowy pocket. The air was
freezing, our breath turned to mist and the blueness of the ice was reflected in
our faces. We all piled into the small space, squeezed around corners and
climbed over chunks of broken ice. I was wearing a rucksack on my back; the red
glacier guides bum bag on my front, contained my lunch. We had come to the
narrowest part of the tunnel. My cargo doubled my size, making me momentarily
stuck between the icy walls.