Did it again, got up at 5:45am. But this was because WE COULD FLY!
Got the helicopter flight to the Franz Josef Glacier. Beautiful morning. Set off on the flight before the sun had actually peeped over the mountains but it was great. Lovely clear, clean, fresh morning. Excellent light. Everything looked pin-sharp. Set off and immediately the glacier comes into view. Got the same initial view as we did yesterday from the viewing point but the difference was that this time we were higher and just went on getting higher and higher. Two passenger couples and the pilot in the helicopter. It was great. No sense of fear or doubt or uncertainty at all. Just the sheer exhilaration of being in a small helicopter and flying over a frozen ice flow. We eventually made it to the top of the glacier and landed perfectly on the ice-field that feeds the glacier. Got out and took photos and had photos taken. Then got in and set off back down the adjacent Fox Glacier and landed at a tiny helicopter landing site where a bus took us into the little township build up to service tourists at the glacier.
Our coach then arrived and picked us up and we set off south. We drove for miles and miles through the scenery and forest of the west coast of South Island. There is sod all there really. Just one road. Not very wide. Lots of bridges over lots of rivers and creeks that were just wide enough for the coach. Lots of great views. Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand and we kept getting views of it until we finally left it behind. Drove for miles past a lake, then over a ridge and more miles past another lake. Beautiful. Stopped a couple of times at viewpoints and got out and took photos. Stopped at three other places for snacks and whatever. All really nice and all well worth visiting. Eventually we arrived at the Haast River and boarded a twin water-jet powered speedboat. It didn’t look much to be honest but boy could it move in the water. We had a power ride up the Haast River. The pilot(!!??) whizzed the thing around and did quite a few full 360deg spin turns. Terrific.
Meanwhile the coach driver drove up the road and met us at the end of the trip. We then continued travelling south until we eventually reached Queenstown. We are now staying at the Novotel Queenstown Lakeside hotel for two nights. Bliss. No early get up in the morning.
An hour after landing we had to depart to go and board the TSS Earnslaw. This is a one hundred year old (but beautifully restored) twin screw steamer (coal powered by hand). Queenstown is on the shores of lake Wakatipu. We had a nice cruise to Walter Peak High Country Farm. 
This is a brilliant place way up the lake and we had a great meal followed by a sheep rounding demo. The guy running this part of the proceedings had a real dry sense of humour. He then talked us through the history of sheep shearing and then sheared a sheep. I laughed my socks off at his comments. Afterwards we boarded the Earnslaw for the return trip. A grand piano graced the upper saloon and we sat around and sang old war-time songs all the way home. A great time was had by one and all!
Loving the photos. A nice addition. I bet the Helicopter flight was awesome. I'd have enjoyed that. And then 360's in a speed boat. What a life you lead huh? Sounds fantastic. I'm very jealous. Sounds like an epic adventure and the holiday of a lifetime. You've had quite a few "holidays of a lifetime" these past few years you lucky lucky people.
ReplyDeleteCheers Buddy. That's great
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