There are two
famous glaciers in the west coast of New Zealand's
South Island – Fox Glacier & Franz Josef
Glacier. We selected Fox Glacier not only it is closer to Queenstown but also
we could visit Lake
Matheson. It was really a
long journey. One way is about 370 km
and it takes around 4 1/2 hours without any stop; It was the longest driving we
ever did in one day during our vacation. Again, we got up early in the morning
and tried our best to stop as few times as possible. We reached Fox Glacier
township/Weheka around noontime and found a place to have lunch. I made a bold
decision by booking a half-day walking trip to the Fox Glacier with my father
(age 81), mother (age 76), my wife and my son.
This is a popular eco-adventure glacier trip. We started with changing to sturdy leather boots and thick socks before taking the bus to the bottom of the glacier. It was a group of 15 to 20 people and our handsome guide - Sam led us along the river bed. It was about an hour walking uphill on unpaved rocky path before we reached the edge of the ice. We stopped there for a break and setup the special instep crampons in order to walk easier on ice. We followed the steps cut out by Sam leading us to the middle of the glacier with the stunning view. We took photos, drank the glacier water and listened to the guide telling us the formation and shrinking of the glacier. Due to the global warming, we would need to walk much farther to reach the glacier in the near future.
The entire trip
took almost 4 hours. My parents were so happy and proud of what they did and
believed they were in good health. I am so happy I made the right decision.
More photos please click the photo below for larger picture
James Huang - All rights reserved.
glad to see a new blog from you
ReplyDeleteSince your parents could do it, I guess I can do it as well only if I can find time to take the fantastic trip.
ReplyDeleteI think you should try the "All Day Guided walks". It gives you much more exciting adventure.
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