Glaciers!

We went camping in Fox Glacier and walked up to see the glacier.  The glacier was very, very, very dirty and there was a bluish-grey river coming out of the end.  It was so grey because the dirt was coming down with the glacier.  On the lower down bit of the glacier there were steps carved in to it for people touring the glacier.  One of the sides of the valley was totally vertical and there was lots of rocks in the valley.  200 years ago the glacier would have covered the road, and 100 years ago it was covering the carpark.  The glacier is retreating at the minute so that's why it's not on the road or the carpark any more!

This is me walking along the track in the valley carved away by the glacier.

This is me at the glacier on a big rock.  Here you can see that the glacier isn't very big and there is lots and lots of rocks and dirt on it.  Up the top there are lots of crevasses.

This is the glacier in the sun. Here you can see the glacier more clearly since I'm not in the way!

Down the bottom I saw lots of ice chunks falling off a small ice cave into the bluish-grey river.  

New Zealand

On the 8th January 2014, we flew to Brisbane and then flew to New Zealand. We met aunty Brigid, Pippa and Ned at the airport. About three days later, we went to the ocean pool with Pippa and Ned. Also, we went to the Butterfly House with Pippa and Ned. Here's some pics! 

This is the gecko seen from above

.. and this is the gecko from below!

This is a large butterfly

And this is a butterfly resting on my hand.

This is a tiny butterfly.  

It was really really hot in there and there was a waterfall and lots of tropical plants.

Now we're going camping and walking in the mountains! (And seeing glaciers.)

Xmas

We had the second biggest family Christmas ever in 2013.  There was 31 people there!  We had it at Uncle Dom's house.  We unwrapped presents, ate a lot of food, and swam in their pool.

After Christmas we went to Donnybrook and went to a big playground.  It was really hot, so we didn't even stay for an hour.

Then we went camping in Boyup Brook.  Clem and his friend Geoff were meeting us there on their 400kms bike ride between Bunbury and Albany.  The next day we met Geoff's kids and his wife in Walpole campsite and stayed with them for 2 nights.  

That's our tent and behind it is their enormous tent!

One day we went to the Valley of the Giants Treetop walk and THIS picture is of me and Lily Bear the travelling bear.

Now we are at Bruce's farm near a town called Denmark.  This is me in my new hat on the back of the ute.