Fox Glacier and Alma Hut Holiday

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OPERA OT "CID DROP. 11 PortIl We arrive at the Fox Iotel with great hopes of a comfortable bed only io find that there are none, so our lorn ing is spent wandering around looking for somewhere to sleepo Dénis and Barrie go off and return to say they have been sublet an empty room in an empty hou.e by four Dunedin girls who are in oceupation for a week, 30 now all we have to do is concentrate on food We cat in the back dining room of the Hotel where one ueed not change or even Nach ard the food is good and there 18 plenty of it. L :ring 'he ifte noon we Wader down tc see the Glacier by I this + ime the weathe it very overcast and all we see is a grey solid mass of ic so we don't stay longo On our return to the Hotel we mee Trevor Halsi and party just abont to leave for the Karangarie Bridge, they are doing the Copeland the other war rounde Next we have to find our food which we have consigne 1 to ourselves and after a feu anxious moments it turns up and all is well for the next part of our tripo By this time our laces are heginning to peel and we look really dreadfulo I look the worst, but just wait until Barrie's beard grows a bit noreo Our night on the floor isn't very soft but at least we are out of the reach of Mossies. Next day, Friday, we are up and breakfasted in time to take the bus to Franz at 9.00 aomo The rain starts as soon as the bus is movir Jo Denis tells me that this road has a bend for every day of the year. I think he means two for each dayo There is one incident worth mentioning which happen on the wayo A very old car full of very odd types tries to pass the bus and ends up in the ditch, BO the men all leave the bus and help to pull it outo I think Denis will have a good colour photo of thiso We leave the bus at the motor camp at Franz, it's still raining and our faces are tightening up so much with the sunburn that we go straight away and buy some lanoline, this helps a loto We are told that the camp is full, but we might find a hole to sleep in later. After finding a cafe for morning tea, we visit Mro Warburton, the photographer, who tells us a great deal about the Franz Joseph Glacier which might help latero After lunch we plod up to the Glacier to give it the once overo Our dinner at the Hotel is really first class, this time in the front dining room where we get many curious looks which don't put us off in the leasto Imagine Barrie's look of concern at the end of the meal when he finds that he has one fork lefto It's still raining hard and we finally end up by sleeping, me in a tent with two other girls and Barrie and Denis in thelen.tchen on stretchers where they are plagued % by Mossies. Sunday today and a whole week goneo The weather is a bit brighter and we have high. hopeso The Youth Travel Party going up to the Glacier takes our packs for us on their bus 80 that saves us carrying them on the three miles road walko At last we arrive at the Glacier ndl down packs to put on crampons. I haven't told tne other two yet, but I'm sure that as soon as T put my foot on the ice in thesc things, I shall end up on my la. o Nor re're off. It's not ae hard as I thoughto Here COie 6..3 tour' Lts they look ver/ impressed, nope I don't fall nowo We plod onward and upw rd for about chree hourso The ice is really fantastic, ever ry now and again I see tunnels which seem CO go right to the bottom of the Glacier. There is water gurgiing ay the bottono Now and again we come across clear pools of water in lovely shades of blue and turnuoise. Next we have to find a route off to Defiance Hut. We finally make it after scrambling almos,t, on hands and knees up a slipo Denis and Barrie are off ering more photographs, they haven't much room to move about here, the hut being in rather a precarious positions Arter a laze round and watching the keas, I decide it's time to eat again, so on wich the stewo We have dinner and go to bedo The bunks are very comfortable in Defiance and we all have the best sleep we have had for four nightso There's no need to be up early this morning, we are only going up to Alma Hut todayo We are now leaving a trail of skin behind us wherever we go. The weather is nuite good and we find the ice easy at the starto We follow the route as pointed out to us before leaving the Franz by the guides and manage to keep out of trouble. On reaching the Alma Glacier, the weather begins to break up, first rain then hailo I think we've had just about enough of this Glecier for one dayo I wish we could find a way offo The edge is only a ccuple of hundred yaris away, but just can't be reachedo Barrie has decided it's time to put the rope on and we go back and try further upo This way looks easier. Barrie is going very carefully, now it's my turno I wish my less were longer, I'm getting in an awful messo He says to let myself goo I'm going alright, I've taken offo Well, I seem to have stopped, now how shall I get out of here. Thank heavens, I can hear Barrie somingo Now that I om out of that precarious posit tion,

21o I hope that it doesu't happen again or I might not get home in one piece. e are off the ice now and we go on for another hour. It's raining and blowing but here is the hut and L at lasto After half an hour, the storm really hits uso This hut leaks like a sieve. It's been like this for almost three hours now but I think it's beginning to lull at lasto Barrie is in his third bunk now, all the others leakedo It's morning arain and the sun is shining although there's lots of mist aroundo Deris and Barrie take photographs while I make the breakfaste 1ay our clothes out on the rocks to dryo We can't nun cround in these long pants and shorts for on 9 someone might callo Those wretched birds are at oub clo hes agair, they must be weight lifterso There go my mittens lf I had ni boots on 1 could chase that birdo Now Barri is pants are goue and I had a rock on themo Here come the cloude again, let's get back to the sacko Now it's snowing it doesn't look as if we will be able to move off tomorrow. Morning egain, it's still anowing so back to the sack once moreo I don't seem to be naking much headway with these crossword puzzles and these two men won't help me a bito It's very cold now, but we have plenty of blankets. We are going to get up early tomorrow morning and see if we can get back to Franzo At 00 aomo the weather looks ruite goodo Breakfast is over and it's almost 5.00 aomo but the clouds are back so we will have to hang on and see if it clears later. I wish I'd brought my knittingo Just think how much I would have done these last two dayso Lunch time and still think outside and snowing. It looks as if we will have to stay here again tonighto Denis and Barrie have gone to view the situation, so I think I will get my bunk organiseds It's too late now to leaveo This stew is getting a bit nonotonous and we are just about out of it, 8O we will have to get out tomorrowo Early to bed and early to rise, who said that? We certainly have got wise to a thing or twoo It's about 3.00 aomo again, and our fourth morning hereo We clear up the last of our food for breakfaste It'e a perfect morning so we get away earlyo The scenery is wonderful, it's the first time I have really seen a good view from the hut, There's not a breath of wind and everything is very quieto Now we are leaving I'm Quite sorry to goo I didn't think it possible to become attached to a hut like Almao After a struggle to get the snow out of the doorway to shut the door, the Hut looks so alone. Although the snow is very deep, to the tops of my legs, it is very dry and powdery so we dont t get weto

We reach the Glacien at 6.00 a.lo to find almost eighteen inches of snow on the ice, now I suppose, the fun beginso The sun is rising fast over the peakso They look very beautiful but it is still very cold down hereo Barrie goes first and has to probe every stepo It takes two houre to make our way over the first two hundred yards, but at last the going is a bit easier. Soon we have to take our cranpons off as the snow cakes up underneath and they get a bit dangerous. Gradually the snow is left behind, ad it's not very long before we are able to put our cranpous on againe At last we seem to be over the voret and velJ relieved as this means we can stop ud such the inev itable acid dropo The camerac come out again aud business is goodo le are par 110 tirring +0 Defiance Hut 3O are realiy making headwayo At laco we've FAL it d large, untidy heap appears on the groun and Denis taker a clc ce-up in colour of Barrieo He looks such a picture with hos sunburnt fere still peeling a little and I can't remember now many days' beardo It's a pity that emelle don't come out in photcgraphs. We stop for lunch, one burley sugar and handful of scroggin. Here I have a rather embarrassing momento An elderly lady asks ue if - lave bou to the top of the Glacier and when I reply Yes, she seys, If you were my daughter I would smack your bottome - Vel., L ask you, what can a girl say in answer to thato I don't kncw if her reason was because I had been up the Glacier or if it was because of my being with two such disreputable looking charecters like Denis and Barrie. We finally arrive at the Hoteland nanage to get rooms this timee What luxury: I take as long to clean the bath as I take to get myself cleano Next dinner, end what a wonderful dinner after our dehydrated dieto After dinner, we sit in the lounge for a while and enjoy the opon fireo No one seens to mind our appearance a bito off to bed and those nice clean sheets. It's Saturday againo The rain is coming down in torrents, I am sure I have never seen rain like it before. The bus leavos at 10.10 aomo for Hozitika and is the subject of much interest to the local population. Everywhere around us, the countryside is saturated with watero At Harihari we have lunch and really nced a boat to get into the tearoome Next we come to almost a complete wash-out of the road between loss and Hokitikao After all the pessengers alignt to view the scene, the bus manages to stagger througho At Hokitika we are met by another friend of Denis and whisked away to Greymouth where we experience again, the wonderful hospitality of the West Coast peopleo

After being well de and rested ve take the 9.00 polo Perishable irom Grevnoita ) Christchurch. I am very sorry it is night timeo I LouTL lize to have seen scenery going to Arthurs Passo We arrive i Christchurch with enough time to eat breakrast. The weather is perfect again, and we arrive at the boat fecling very untidy Euid soiled, our best togs still being at the Hermitage. But on board, we find Stret and party looking equally as bad so we don't mindo The day is spent lying in the sun I what could be a more perfect ending to our trip? And so our noliday ended, I am now convinced that anticipation is not greater tnan nealisation and although Barrie sa, boat he i going to climb llto aunganui next Christmas, I aul cu'te wi ling to bet that h: ill end UE somewhere in the Alps Ha-el Jordan.