Planning a NZ Glacier Hike

Surprisingly (at least to me) is the fact that the relatively small islands of New Zealand contain many glaciers.  According to Wikipedia - there are over 3000 glaciers in New Zealand!  Two famous (and big) glaciers on the South Island are the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers.  These two glaciers are part of another UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Spending time "on the ice" at one or both of these glaciers is generally part of any venture to the South Island.  KW and I are planning to tour one of the glaciers, but won't have time in our visit to New Zealand to tour both.  Have you been to NZ and visited either of these glaciers?  If so, you can help in our planning.

1.  Which glacier and tour company did you find provide the best "glacier experience"?  Franz Josef Glacier Guides provides various hiking and "heli hop" (helicopter trips onto the ice) of the Franz Josef Glacier while Fox Glacier Guides provides the same on the Fox Glacier.

2.  Can you hike onto the Franz Josef Glacier anymore?  I have read that you can hike to the terminal face of Franz Josef, but you can no longer hike on to that glacier because of the way the glacier is receding.  You must heli hop on to Franz Josef.  Can anyone confirm this?

3.  Heli tours are much more expensive (approximately $400 versus $125 for a hiking tour).  Further, we would kind of like to see these natural wonders in a natural way so we are thinking of taking one of the hiking tours.  But the amount of time on the actual glacier is limited when hiking and a lot more physical work to enjoy it.  If you have done both, what would you recommend?

4.  What type of equipment would you recommend we take?  According to the glacier tour company web sites, all the necessary equipment is provided.  Footwear (boots/socks), crampons, waterproof raincoat, over-trousers, mittens, hats are all supplied.  What did you find you needed to bring of your own?  How should we dress for your excursion?

5.  Where should we stay (hotel) in the area?

If you have been to the New Zealand glaciers, fill us in.

Planning the Tongariro Alpine Crossing Hike

As part of K & I planning, we are looking to accomplish the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in New Zealand's summer months.  Several questions remain as we plan this part of our New Zealand trip.

For those unfamiliar with this hike (hikes are called tramps in New Zealand), see this web site:  See http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/tongariro-taupo/walks-around-tnp.pdf

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing (Mount Doom of Lord of the Rings fame) is one of the "Great Walks" of New Zealand, listed as the best one day hike in New Zealand, a World Heritage site, and is listed as one of the top hikes in the world by several organizations to include National Geographic and Lonely Planet.

1.  Can/should we undertake this hike by ourselves or do we need a tour guide?  If a tour guide is really recommended, which one would you recommend?  I found this list of tour operators.  Can anyone speak to the experience they had with any one?  If we decide to go it alone, can you recommend a reputable transport company to get you from the car park at Ketetahi back to your car at the hike starting point at Mangatepopo.  We are planning the traditional Mangatepopo to Ketetahi  hike at Tongariro Crossing which is said to be easier since it is downhill versus up.

2.  How fit is fit enough for this "moderate" level hike?  My wife and I are both physically active/healthy, but we are a little concerned with the length of the hike (roughly 13 km or 8 miles) and being able to complete the hike in sunlight.  I've read a couple reports like these (http://www.backpackersnews.co.nz/794/the-non-hikers-guide-to-the-tongariro-crossing/ and http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1850155) and it seems that the hike may not be a treacherous or hard as sometimes described.  What was your experience if you hiked Tongariro?

3.  What equipment do we need for the hike for a summer month hike?  While the web sites often provide a list, what did you find was a must have and what did you discover you could have left at home (its a long hike - no need to ruck extra stuff across miles)?

Stay tuned to this blog site for the results of our trip and pictures from places like Tongariro!

NZ and Australia - here we come!

K & I are currently planning a 2 month trip to New Zealand and Australia.  Have you been to either of these countries before?  If so, what would you want to see again?  What would you skip?  Let us know what you saw, what you did, and what we shouldn't miss.

We plan to arrive in Auckland, New Zealand for a 3 week tour of the land of the Kiwis.  Then it is on to Adelaide where we start a 5 week tour of the Land Down Under.

Here is our current itinerary:

NZ North Island

• 3 days in Auckland (rest from travel and see the city sights)
• 1 day in Rotorua (stop for a hangi - dinner/show at a Maori Village)
• 2 days in Taupo (hike Tongariro Apine Crossing tramp - a.k.a. trail)
• 1 day in Hawkes Bay (wine, Napier art-deco)
• 2 days in Wellington (Te Papa)
• Ferry to the South Island

NZ South Island

• 1 day Nelson/Blenheim
• 2 days west coast and glacier areas (hike the Fox Glacier)
• 2 days in Queenstown (bungee jump at its origins)
• 1 day in Te Anu (cruise the Milford Sound)
• 2 days in Dunedin/Otago Peninsula (penguin and albatross bird watch)
• 1 day in Christchurch

Australia

• 3 days in Adelaide and surrounding hills (Tandanya National Aboriginal Art Gallery, Rundle St. area, Hohndorf)
• 3 days along the southern coast on the way to Melbourne (Gramplans, Twelve Apostles)
• 4 days in Melbourne (food galore, Federation Square, Queen Victoria Market, Yarra Phillips Island, Australian rules football)
• 3 days in Perth (Kings Park, Fremantle)
• 3 days in Alice Springs, Uluru and Kata Tjuta (the rock - what else)
• 3 days in Cairns (Great Barrier Reef, Kuranda, Daintree Rainforest)
• 4 days in Brisbane (Lone Pine Koala Sancturary, City Hall, zoo, Byron Bay)
• 7 days in Sydney (Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Blue Mountains, Sydney neighborhoods and beaches, Rocks district)

Your Feedback Wanted!

If you have been, what were experiences?  What were your favorite tours, hotels, restaurants?  Did you use a tour for any part of your trip and would you recommend it?  Leave us a comment.  Stay tuned to this blog as we provide you details of our planning and results - which we hope will be a trip of a lifetime!