Down Under Answers
New Zealand
Nature & Wildlife
Glacier Country
3 nights Fox Glacier, South Island from $669.00 per person based on double occupancy
Come and explore the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area, where you’ll find the ancient Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glaciers nestled amidst primeval rainforest.
INCLUSIONS
- 3 nights Te Weheka Inn, Fox Glacier
- Half Day Fox Glacier Walk
- Fox Glacier Helihike
- Breakfast Daily
ITINERARY
DAY 1
Welcome to Fox Glacier. Today you will enjoy the the rugged elegance of the Te Weheka Inn boutique hotel, a luxury bed & breakfast accommodation nestled beneath the towering Southern Alps on the awesome West Coast of New Zealand. Close by, the mighty Fox Glacier grinds seaward while the tranquil waters of Lake Matheson reflect the scenic grandeur encompassed by native bush, all part of nature’s grand scheme. Te Weheka Inn is hosted by a friendly staff who will attend to all your needs. From the sumptuous breakfast to the roomy, spacious bedrooms, your stay at Fox Glacier hotel will remain a memorable reminder of the grandeur of this special landscape and outdoor experiences.
DAY 2
Explore the South West New Zealand World Heritage area, where you’ll find living remnants of the ice ages carve a spectacular landscape on their advance from the vast snow and ice fields of New Zealand’s Southern Alps to their terminal face almost 1000 feet above sea level. These glaciers are nestled amid the lush rainforest. Here the lakes, rivers, forests and beaches of an untamed, yet accessible wilderness, are as pure as you will find anywhere.
Experience the opportunity to crunch across the frozen surface of the mighty 8 mile long Fox Glacier in the company of an experienced guide. This popular trip is a great eco-adventure and full of variety and interest. Walkers are kitted out with sturdy leather boots and other equipment, before boarding buses for the short drive through the rainforest and into the glacial valley. This valley was carved out by the ice during past ice ages and shows dramatic evidence of the power of the ice.
Your guide leads you on a walk beside the river bed to a secret track which zig-zags slowly uphill for fourty-five minutes through ferns and regenerating temperate rainforest. From high on the track you enjoy fantastic views of the glacier and its upper and lower icefalls.
From its high point, the track winds down to the edge of the ice. At this point you are outfitted with instep crampons specially designed for these ice conditions, and you follow the ice steps cut by the guides. The route takes you onto the ice among crevasses and ice ridges and leads you into the middle of the glacier for spectacular views of the icefall and lower glacier.
At least one hour is spent on the ice and, depending on glacial conditions, you will return to the bus using either the same secret track or a different track that follows the edge of the ice.
DAY 3
Want the thrill of a helicopter ride as well as the chance to experience your own remote section of the glacier? The fly-in, fly-out helihike combines the excitement of walking on the Fox Glacier with the thrill of helicopter flights. By flying in you 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, you board the helicopter for your first flight over the pinnacles of the lower icefall. Here the ice is in constant motion. You then circle the upper icefall and Victoria Falls before landing.
Your landing site on the ice is a remote and exceptionally beautiful part of the glacier. At this stage, your guide outfits you with crampons, specially designed for these ice conditions and you follow the ice steps cut by your guide as you explore the amazing formations and ice caves which are only seen here.
Each departure is a true voyage of exploration. There are so many changing features that the guides always find something new. Weather permitting, ice time is about 2.5 hours.
This afternoon retreat to the Inn, revel in warmth and comfort with a deserving hot cocoa in hand!
DAY 4
You will depart today to enjoy other areas of the South Pacific.