Tour Description
During my recent visit to Fox Glacier, I was keen to experience a bird’s eye view of the glacier. So I booked a scenic helicopter flight with a Fox and Franz Josef Heliservice. Unfortunately when we arrived in Franz Josef, the weather was unfavorable, leading to the cancellation of our flight – indeed, it does rain occasionally on the West Coast! Undeterred, we opted to visit Fox Glacier village, hoping for improved conditions the following day. Fortunately, we were greeted by a splendid sunny day, prompting us to embark on our flight adventure.
We opted for the Fox Glacier and Mount Cook scenic flight package, featuring a snow landing and photo opportunity. As a first-time helicopter passenger, I was thrilled (needless to say). Boarding the bus at the Fox Glacier Guiding Building, we eagerly headed to the helipad. A brief safety briefing followed our arrival, before our breathless boarding of the helicopter.
After boarding, we each donned our headsets, secured ourselves in our seats, and waited to take flight. I was a bit taken aback by the helicopter’s speedy ascent — all of my ideas about what a heliflight might actually be like were instantly radically adjusted. The scenery rushing past as we lifted into the sky was such a sensory overload. Our flight path took us over Fox Glacier village, then directly above the glacier itself, as we made our way into the mountains.
The glacier was almost indescribably stunning, adorned with numerous ice sculptures and gleaming blue crevices illuminated by the sunshine following the rain from the previous night. Seeing some hikers traversing the glacier, I momentarily regretted not seizing the opportunity to join them. Remembering my status as a non-enthusiastic hill climber, even in easy conditions, was a quick reality check to dispel that notion!
After reaching the summit of the Glacier, we circled around Mount Cook and Mount Tasman before landing on a snow-covered peak of Fox Glacier for a photo session with Mount Tasman in the backdrop. The experience was simply exhilarating, and I cherished every moment spent on the snowy mountaintop. It felt surreal to think that mere minutes earlier, I had been standing on solid ground back at Fox Glacier Village.
The weather at the mountaintop was perfect. Above the clouds, the sun bathed us in its glow, painting the sky a stunning blue. We took full advantage of the photo op, snapping numerous photos (would this bring social media kudos!) and relishing the snow. Though tempted to make a snow angel, I stopped myself, imagining sitting in wet pants for the heli flight down and slightly concerned about embarrassing myself!
After spending approximately five minutes at the mountain’s summit, we climbed back into the helicopter for our return journey. Descending over Fox Glacier the pilot executed a perfect spiral turn around a waterfall, causing a slight lurch in my stomach. Clouds had rolled in during our flight, creating a mesmerising misty atmosphere as we passed through them. Emerging from the clouds, we were greeted once more by the sight of the glacier and Fox Glacier Village below.
Upon landing back in Fox Glacier Village safe and sound, we realized that rain had resumed in the village. We felt relieved that we had taken the flight when we did, as flights would probably have been canceled again soon if the weather hadn’t cleared.