Spoiler alert: this post contains a ridiculously large number of photos, and we’re not apologising for it!

Another beautiful drive through the mountains today, and we were so lucky with the weather (again). Our target was Fox Glacier, but along the way we stopped at Franz Josef Glacier too.

Franz Josef Glacier: this is a 12 kilometre-long glacier, 20km north of Fox Glacier. We stopped here only briefly, but it was still impressive. The old walking track has been washed away since the Waiho river changed it’s course, so you can’t walk as far as you used to be able to.

Fox Glacier: 13km long and known by local Māori as Te Moeka o Tuawe (‘The bed of Tuawe’). According to the traditional stories, Hine Hukatere loved climbing in the mountains and persuaded her lover Tuawe to climb with her. Tuawe was a less experienced climber than Hine Hukatere but loved to climb with her, until an avalanche swept him from the peaks to his death. Hine Hukatere was broken-hearted and her many, many tears flowed down the mountain. Rangi the Sky Father took pity on her and froze them to form the glacier now known as Franz Josef; the glacier now known as Fox marks Tuawe’s resting place.

We booked a heli-hike for today, a massive treat and such an exciting point in our adventure.

The helicopter ride on its own was a once-in-lifetime experience, but then we spent 3 hours on the ice and I’m not sure we know how to describe how incredible it was!

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We could have stayed up there for hours but, as we know, time flies when you’re having fun! It was soon time to head back to the ice-helipad and zoom off back down to regular land.

What a phenomenal thing to do, we are feeling very lucky and immensely grateful – for the sunny skies and low winds, and to experience such a wonder of the natural world.

Not much to report after that – we drove further south to Haast, found a nice pub for supper, and got to bed! Off to Queenstown tomorrow.