Day 3 (afternoon) - Lake Matheson

Lake Matheson (photo from google)

It was 10 mins drive from our holiday park in Fox Glacier to the magnificient mirro like Lake Matheson. According to the tourism broucher, this lake has combined exactly the right ingredients to create truly stunning reflections of New Zealan's highest peaks - Aoraki (Mt.Cook) and Mount Tasman. The lake were formed 14,000 years ago. So excited to see this lake....

The waters of Lake Matheson are darks brown, so on a calm day they create the ideal reflective surface. Unfortunately, when we arrived Lake Matheson, the sky was not clear enough to create mountains reflections on the lake. There was a walking track from the car park to round the lake, and it toke 1.5 hours a round trip. The track continues through ancient native forest, the fern trees are every way to a pontoon that extends out onto the lake.

Crossing a bridge above the creek. Mirro reflection lake Matheson

The sky is not so clear... Fern Leave Fern trees along the walking track. Feel like jungle tracking.

Day 3 - Fox Glacier Heli-hiking

Exploring Day 3



Today we are going for an adventurous activities where what everyone doing when come to Fox Glacier --- Experience the walks on the Glacier!

You will find several guiding company located alongside the main road. The Fox Glacier Guiding company which we chosen offer a full range of hiking tours and ice adventures to suit all fitness levels. We chosen a tour package that required moderate fitness yet adventurous, and the important part is that we got the opportunities to experienced the helicopter riding up to the glacier. The fly-in, fly-out Heli-Hike combines the excitement of walking on the Fox Glacier with the thrill of helicopter flights. By flying in, we are able to access and explore a part of the glacier where its forces work hardest and often create spectacular ice caves and arches.

Equipped with sturdy leather boots and other equipment, we boarded the helicopter for our first flight over the pinnacles of the lower icefall.

The "white" mountain" is where we are going to

River gravel view from helicopter

Fox Glacier



The lower icefall. Here, the ice is in constant motion.



after a 10 mins ride, we landed the starting point. The landing site on the ice is a remote and exceptionally beautiful part of the glacier. Our guide outfits us with crampons, specially designed for these ice conditions and we started to follow the ice steps cut by our guide as we explore the amazing ice formations...

Lady guide from USA cut the ice steps for the group to step on safely. The total on ice time is 2.5hr.

Amazing ice formation, some form ice arches, some form caves.
Can't descript in word, so, just let the photos talk...























Click the link below to know more about Fox Glacier.
Fox Glacier Fact: http://www.foxguides.co.nz/facts.asp

Day 2 : Christchurch - Arthur Pass - Hokitika - Fox Glacier

Exploring Day 2

Wake up and have self-cook breakfast at Stonehurst Accommodation, we collected our pre-book car from ACE car rental. After some food and grocery shopping at Park-n-Save (the town's lowest price supermarket) we leave Christchurch by 10.30am.

The State Highway 73 links the Canterbury, pass through Arthur Pass, to West Cost regions. This magnificent alpine park (Arthur Pass) straddles the Southern Alps. This Alps have a marvelous scenic during the winder time, but unfortunately we came in the hot summer day...

On the way to Arthur Pass

After 5hr drive, we reach a small town called Hokitika where it located at the west coast of South Island, west of Southern Alps. This small town are famous with Jade/greenstone. Carving pounamu (Jade) has been the basis for the development of a strong arts & crafts movement in Hokitika. We can see a big Jade factory on the main road side where we can watch and interact with their skilled team of master carvers in the adjacent studio.

Hokitika Town

Jade Factory

Hokitika Beach

Finally, and tiredly, we arrived Fox Glacier village by 8pm. The sky was still bright at 8pm, bcos of summer, sunset normally started at 8.50pm. Today has a long hour drive, both of us already burned out of energy and excitement to explore the town...

Fox Glacier Village at 9pm

Dinner at Cook Saddle Cafe

Day 3 to be cont.