Ice Landings

Today, Saturday here, was an early day. Out of the lodge by 8 for a 2.5 hour drive south to Franz Josef Village. Checked in to our lodge there (it has a tub, I'm in heaven ) to drop bags and another 22km south to Fox Glacier Village for our helihike.


Fortunately for us, the weather was perfect today & the helicopters were flying. During the last several weeks they have experienced up to 16 days without flying due to rain. We weren't sure what to expect when we signed up for this helihike 6 months ago. I questioned employees at the hotel, as well as at the check-in site.They all assured us it was very easy & the helicopter did the hard work. Hmmm....not exactly, but despite that, it was probably one of the most incredible things either of us has ever experienced. We keep wondering when we will run out of adjectives for this amazing country. That may have happened today.


After checking in at the helicopter office, we took a bus (Old Blu, a hybrid 1958/1968 model) to the helipad. While we waited for a group to come down off the mountain, we were issued wool socks, boots & given our instructions for appropriate helicopter protocol. Our group was divided into two & we were sent off for the 5 minute ride to the glacier with the first group. After both groups were on the ice, we added 'instep crampons' to the bottoms of our boots. We picked up walking sticks & were off. Walking on the ice was surprisingly easy once you let the crampons work for you. They are steel spikes on the bottoms of your feet. With these spikes & the walking stick we were just like pros.....not! Although it wasn't that slippery, there were still some downhill steps to climb, some slippery areas to manoeuvre & some narrow paths to walk down, with deep crevasses either next to us or in front of us. We had to watch our steps as we peered into the deep blue glacier water. Didn't want to slip through one of those....brr!!! And very deep...some up to 30 meters according to our guide.






For the next 2 hours, we 'explored' the ice. Our guides cut through the ice at times, quickly hacking out steps so that we could make our way down to yet another site. The ice was brilliant white with incredible blue shining through it. We were able to walk through an ice cave & look down into more crevasses that took our breaths away. We were warned that during the trip before us, one lady had dropped her camera down a crevasse. Fortunately through 'guide ingenuity' it was retrieved. Everyone held on to theirs a little tighter on this trip, I suspect.







The guides were informative & able to answer questions about the ice & the area. The ice in this area (we were only 1100 meters above sea level) is 200 meters thick. It is estimated the oldest of the ice is 80 years old and we were told that Fox Glacier has actually been growing since 1998. Approximately 50m of snowfall is added to the glacier each year. While we waited for the helicopters to retrieve us, we heard & saw a rock slide on a nearby mountain. Most likely very small, but the sound was actually quite loud and clouds of dust were visible as the rocks hit the ledge below.



The day came to an end early....a glass of wine & pasta for dinner. Two vintage 1930 Ford's filling up at the local Mobile station as we walked back to our car. Kiwis seem to really love classic cars. A long bath for me & some hot tea & cookies. Another unbelievable day in paradise. On a quieter schedule for the next 3 days as we head out tomorrow for Lake Moeraki & Wilderness Lodge sometime tomorrow.


Today's observation:

We really enjoyed our 1st trip to NZ 5 years ago and ever since have been raving about it. There was some concern that we may have over-hyped the place and would be disappointed this trip. No worries as they say here.