Our accommodation at Fox Glacier was at the Mt Cook View Motel, just out of the main township.
We had a bit of a chat to the owners when we arrived and Harry got to know the resident animals. There was a cat ginger called Garfield, a mop dog called Bubbles and a miniature pony called Breeze.
When we checked in the evening before we couldn't work out where the
view of Mt Cook and how they could use the name. Overnight the skies had cleared and the famous
peak was obvious.
Maybe even more obvious was Mount Tasman.
After breakfast everyone piled into the car and we cruised half a kilometre down the road to Lake Matheson. We left Pat at the cafe where he had the view below to gaze at while reading the paper and have a coffee. The rest of up set off on the loop trail around the lake.
A New Zealand bellbird was going about it's business at the trail head just near the cafe. It didn't seem at all worried about what we were up to.
There's a suspension bridge just beyond the trail head that grants access to the forest.
The forest on the west coast is easily as lush as what we;d seen in The Catlins. Tree ferns were everywhere.
Half way around and at the end of the lake there are a couple of lookout points. The aspect is nothing short of stunning. We did notice a few clouds starting to creep in and hoped it wouldn't wreck our helicopter flight.
We wondered back to the cafe marvelling at New Zealand's two highest peaks.
We reset for the one event of the entire trip that we'd been talking about for months. After some stuffing around at the helicopter tour office we were eventually taken to the helipad. Harry was so excited that, once again, he went very quiet, particularly when the chopper came in to land.
We were all buckled in and ready. Harry gave the thumbs up to GO!
The flight took us over the lake we'd hiked around earlier then north to the Frans Joseph Glacier.
We didn't land on the glacier but flew up the valley before crossing the ridge to the head of Fox Glacier.
We landed a bit below the head of Fox Glacier with some high winds keeping the choppers down below the ridge. It was a good spot with great views of the towering mountain peaks and for a while we were alone.
Time for some tourist snaps.
So much for alone on the glacier. The first chopper came screaming in from where we'd come from.
Look mummy! A chopper!
More happy snaps.
Just a few more photos before having to get back on into the chopper.
We descended down the Fox Glacier valley back to the helipad. Everyone was buzzing after and exhilarating experience.
After lunch and some rest time for Harry, we all got moving again. Pat & Jeanette went across the road to visit friends while we hiked up to the foot of Fox Glacier.
The trail is steep in sections and has a lot of loose rocks. Harry did pretty well considering and I didn't have to carry him on my shoulders too much. The foot of the glacier is nowhere near as spectacular as where we'd been in the helicopter earlier.
There was a cluster of large rocks that were covered in a red lichen. It looks like paint doesn't it.
On the way back Harry decided he'd copy me and drink out of the crystal clear stream that crosses the trail. "I'm very thirsty Daddy."
It was a great day and a definite highlight of the trip. The weather came good for just long enough for us to enjoy it.
