Glaciers and Helicopters

March 1, 2014

Can I start by telling you about the highlight of our trip so far?  All I can say is Oh My, Oh MY, OH MY!!!  It was my first time in a helicopter and it was every bit as sensational as I thought it would be.  But somehow all I could think about was how easily we could crash.  Oh Golly Gosh! 

Jens was cool as a cucumber being a seasoned veteran having flown in helicopters during his stint in the Danish Navy many years ago.  And there I was, trying to be calm, holding back laughter, tears, I don’t know exactly what.  Excitement, nerves, fear, pleasure, delight.  It’s hard to describe the feeling.  Thankfully, we have returned from our short excursion safe and sound and with some nice photos and videos to remember it by. 

We flew up and around Mount Tasman and Mount Cook and over the Tasman, Hooker and Fox Glaciers with a stop at 2,000 meters for a look around at the mountains from the top.  There was a nice layer of fresh white snow and a beautiful blue sky to add to the spectacle. 

 

Safely at the top - fresh snow under our feet!

The beautiful Mount Cook - up close and personal.

360 degrees of views.

Fox Glacier

Stunning views

Having seen the glaciers from the sky, the photos I have from our walk the previous day are, well, maybe just a little dull.  In fact, even the hike we did up Mount Roy two days before seems a little dull in comparison.  But I’ll share some of those photos with you regardless. 

Looking at a glacier from the top.

Deep crevices in the glacier

Fox Glacier from ground level.

Franz Josef Glacier - off in the distance

The Mount Roy hike was a tough one – 3 hours of an uphill climb with an altitude gain of 1.3 kilometers to a breathtaking 1,500 meters.  I didn’t manage the last 20 minutes to the peak – but my superhero Jens did and took a few photos to prove it.  I just didn’t have it in me that day.  Mind you, it was a pretty nice view at the crest of the ridge where we had our lunch so I guess I didn’t miss out on too much.

 

Jens is pointing at the peak where he had his picture taken

View from the crest of the ridge.

Jens "At the Top" ... my superhero.

And here's me - just happy to have reached this far.

What’s next?  We have Abel Tasman National Park to explore before crossing back to the North Island.  Maybe a little kayaking – maybe a little tramping – let’s see what happens. 

The reflection in Lake Matheson - our early morning walk before our helicopter excursion.