What an fantastic day it has turned out to be in glacier country! I learned the stats yesterday - apparently 60% of all activities (primarily glacier hikes) get canceled here due to the heavy rain. It is located in a rainforest, after all. I wonder how businesses stay open here. Well, perhaps it's the exorbitant prices. I have to say though, the cost is so well worth it!!
Today I took a half-hour long helicopter ride up and over both the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers. It was one of the best experiences ever! For one, it was my first time on a helicopter! And then of course, there is the scenery and the experience of landing on top of a mountain! Wow!!! I'm still a bit in awe of the whole thing. I'm feeling that kind of burst at the seams kind of excitement over it all still. Wow!!! Maybe I'll say that again - Wow!!! Yay! I thought I'd be nervous and maybe get some vertigo, etc, but not at all!! I loved every minute of it! Even when we got up into the wind and felt a bit of turbulence. All good. I got to sit in the front seat too - so I had all windows around me. Even down at my feet: windows! We flew up the Franz Josef glacier and then over the top of the mountain to the Fox glacier. We landed on top of that one on the snow at the top and backside of Mt Tasman. We got out and walked around on the snow and took some photos. It was really bright up there on the snow with the sun. It was chilly too, but not overly cold. Then we got back in the helicopter and flew down the Fox glacier, sweeping past the sides of the mountain, then over the edge of it and down into the valley where we followed the winding road back to Franz Josef village. You can really see how the glaciers used to flow all the way to the sea; how they carved out a valley below.
I am so happy that the weather was fine today so that I could experience it! What a great day!!
No comments:
Post a Comment