The Glacier in the Rainforest and Bungy Jumping

the pancake rocks

The last few days have been a little busy and packed with some crazy adventures! After leaving Punakaiki, a small town known for the pancake rocks, we headed to Franz Josef a tiny touristy town at the base of the Franz Josef glacier. We spent two nights in this little town to ensure that we had one full day to do one of the main attractions, the glacier hike.

Unfortunately due to the nature of the weather on the west coast of New Zealand our hike got cancelled at the last minute (something, the guide informed us, that happens 60% of the time). We even got as far as standing in all our gear outside at the helicopter pad when the pilot decided that the clouds had dropped too low and it was no longer safe to fly. Luckily the next morning we were able to get on the first hike up and the weather managed to hold out for us, although already by midday the clouds had completely covered the sky that had been completely clear just hours earlier.

from this... 

There are two things that set Franz Josef Glacier apart from any other, first off it is the fastest moving glacier in the world and is expected to completely disappear in the next 20-30 years and secondly, it is the only glacier that is found in the middle of a rainforest. It was cool just to be able to see it but actually being able to hike on the glacier itself was amazing. We got a helicopter flight to the base and began hiking up, around and through the glacier.

..to this

After Franz Josef we had an incredibly long bus ride to Wanaka, a smaller, less touristy town a couple hours from Queenstown. The long bus ride was made just barely bearable by the amazing scenery outside. As we approached Wanaka there were snow capped mountains and huge green hills all around us, not to mention the pure blue lake we were driving along. Since some of us on the bus had done our glacier hike that morning we didn’t get into Wanaka until 6 in the evening.  

The next morning we got back on the bus and headed to Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world. Queenstown literally has every single adventure activity you can think of, from canyoning and skydiving, to parasailing and of course the world famous Bungy Jumping. I figured that I might as well make the most of being here so I signed up for the Nevis bungy jump, a 134m bungy jump over a canyon.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared in my life, and I was seriously unsure about whether I would be able to physically make myself jump off the ledge. But I had already paid the money AND I’m no chicken. So after getting all strapped in, myself along with 6 others from the bus, were brought to the platform via cable car.

Once you’re all strapped in they help you shuffle to this little tiny ledge overlooking the canyon. Just like that your ready, and they count down... I...2.... 3.... BUNGY. At which point you are expected to dive HEAD FIRST into the canyon.

The feeling was completely unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and contrary to what I though there was absolutely none of that feeling in your stomach you get when your on a roller coaster. It is just purely free fall. It was so cool and despite being absolutely terrified before hand I am so glad I did it.

After these crazy past few days I’m hoping to spend a little time just exploring Queenstown, taking a break from all the crazy, not to mention a break from all the spending.

Thanks for reading!

Rachel