Day 23

The day started dry making it easy to pack up and drive to the Franz Joseph info center. After using the loo, we parked in a small side street and had porridge before going to the Franz Joseph Glacier. It was sad to realize just how much it had retreated in such a short time, and the long walk in the deteriorating weather highlighted the loss. Heading back with the rain slowly getting heavier we stopped by the information center and had wraps for lunch – finally some veggies! Got some info on a walk to a tunnel which was full of water, and was remained unexplored despite the rain doing an excellent job of soaking us anyway! On the return lighting and thunder shook the valley briefly, and back in the car, wet and cold, the hot pools behind the info center sounded heavenly.

Heated to the core and revived, Sue spun her wheels south to the town of Fox. The rain hadn’t gotten any better so all we were able to do was look in a gallery near Lake Mathew. With no place we could cook dinner we ate a tin of baby corn, four bean mix and tin spaghetti for tea. Fox lacked any side streets or hidden car parks, and a few phone calls revealed just how expensive parking the car was, so we drove back towards Franz and got lucky on a small out of the way pullover zone on the side of the road. Throughout the night the rain came and went and another storm passed through tearing the night with lightning and bellows.

Entree Written By Jack