Ice and fire

To Greymouth through the New Zealand Alps on one of the most spectacular train journeys of the world. From the observation car people took photo after photo after photo. None of them will do the monumental mountains, snowy crags, vast skies, stony river valleys, distorted trees or wildflowers justice and nor will words; the process is more an act of homage.

At Greymouth I hired a car and visited the 'Pancake Rocks' at Punakaiki, but two hours after high tide so I missed the spume crashing up through blowholes. The high protected walkways felt too far away - I'd love to have clambered over the rocks 15 years ago and got wet, even though it seems more is visible now.

Then south to Franz Josef Glacier and a evening walk to see the ice reflecting orange. Beautiful enough for me not to notice for quite a while that I was being eaten by midges.