The Franz Josef Glacier

The next day we lounged around till our helicopter tour (which was almost cancelled due to an incoming rainstorm). After a brief introduction to safety we were given galciar gear, waterproof pants, jackets, socks, and boots and taken to the launch site. Two groups (out of four) went at a time. We were in group #3 and were rushed to the helicopter after it returned. We quickly ascended toward the distant mountains, passing green trees growing out of the bare rock, waterfalls, and the lower tiers of the glacier. The lower tiers were very dirty and looked like a huge ice tongue between two mountains. The pilot took us above our landing spot and swooped left and right so that we could look all get many views of the monster we were traveling above. The helicopter set down on a landing pad that was a little smaller than the helicopter itself. A stone marred path led to a “safe area” where the group amassed. After everyone on the tour had arrived we received crampons, ice axes & satchels. Then the groups split off into two. We tramped around the glacier just below an ice waterfall. The ice was a brilliant shade of blue, which we hear was because it is so dense. There were multiple wet crossings, where the glacier had melted and formed pools or streams of water. We tramped into some very small caves and passed some large formations. At the end of the trip, fog started to close in and it began to rain. Back into the helicopter, where we got a view of the ocean before landing. For dinner, we decided to go to Fox Glacier, another town a few minutes south. What a miserable restaurant we happened upon - I actually can't believe we decided to eat there. We asked the waitress to check if anything was gluten free. After consulting with the chef, she said the chef said that the pasta was gluten free (yes, the wheat pasta) amongst other things. Despite the obvious ignorance about gluten, Ingrid and I decided to eat there (most likely because it was raining). We ordered, I the lamb shanks, Ingrid the chicken parmesan. Then we sat down beside a window that had mold sprouting out of the window panes (looked like little grasslets). Our water tasted very minerally and was not very appealing. And while we were sitting there, a table got up and left because the rice on someone's plate was frozen. Our meals were not horrible, but they were most unspectacular. Mine did not come with the vegetables that were advertised, but I did not complain. We ate and left in more rain.