It was another early start.  Got chatting to Lisa a Canadian girl who had arrived on the train from Christchurch the day before.  When we got on the bus it was quite a change as it was a pretty full Magic Bus with all the extra people that joined us having taken the train over the mountains from Christchurch.  No more being able to hog all the space you wanted and more. 

Another day travelling down the quiet west coast of the South Island.  Another day of single carriage roads spiced up by a couple of single track bridges shared with the railway line.  It was quite amusing to hear the Magic Bus driver ask is there a train coming the other way as he took the bus over the bridge. 

Hass country was very beautiful but empty.  Over the Hass Pass and onward to Franz-Josef.

Arriving in Franz-Josef the first stop was the Franz-Josef Glacier Guiding company to book ourselves onto the glacier hike.  Again another stay in the YHA for me.  Got chatting to two girls, Irina from Australia and Anna from New York. 

[thumb:1296:r][thumb:1298:r]After failing to persuade Roxie and Briony to go horse riding it we agreed on going for a walk up to the Wombat Pool. 

[thumb:1299:l]Got my first view of the glacier on the way up to the car park for the glacier.  The glacier just poking up over the hills.  Had a very pleasent walk up the hill to the Wombat Pool.  When we got there ended up chatting to an American family who had also walked up there.  Did manage to get a cheesey photo of myself posing just in front of the Wombat Pool

[thumb:1666:r]Coming back down th ehill The clouds hanging on the hills near the glacier

Going into the Landing Bar with Bev I was amazed to spot Calum and Lisa drivers of the Bright Red Dragon Wagon.  I knew that they’re plan had been to visit the South Island driving down the west coast but I hadn’t expected to bump into them again.  I was amazed to find out that they spotted me on the Magic Bus as it went through Haverley whilst they were eating green lipped muscles.  Found out that they were planning to go up the glacier the next day by helicopter to take a look at the glacier.  This time I remembered to ask them for their email address. 

So after having a bite to eat Bev, Calum, Lisa and myself headed up to hunt for wetas and glow worms.  Wetas being the giant inscects that had evolved in New Zealand to fill the roll that rodents had filled in other places in the world.  Along the way we stopped off along the way to buy a little torch as we weren’t able to borrow one off anyone. 

Heading into the forest we could see lots of glow worms amongst the trees when we turned the torch off.  Further in it got darker and darker but no signs of wetas.  In the end we had to turn back as our torch lights began to fail and we couldn’t see our footing.  So it was goodbye again to Calum and Lisa at the end of the evening and also goodbye to Bev who was heading off to Queenstown the next day whilst Roxie, Briony and myself went hiking up the Franz-Josef glacier.