Report 16.

There are two glaciers on the west coast of the south island that extend from their “neves” (birthing sites) on Mt. Cook, highest mountain in NZ (10,500 ft.) to just a few hundred feet above sea level. I decided to take a heli-hike adventure – a helicopter ride to the Franz Josef glacier, then a two hr. hike around the ice. So, I booked that for the next morning when we arrived Wednesday pm. Thursday morning, though, the wind at glacier level, and town level, was howling from the east and helicopter travel was canceled. We decided to wait another day and then decided to treat ourselves to a day and night in a motel, after three grueling days and nights in the campervan. It (the camper) was a rather cramped place to wait for a weather change and Susie kept banging her head on one low passageway, so a motel was the obvious remedy. They even had the Sky TV movie channel – a real treat. Sometime we’ll tell you about NZ television. (Actually, we enjoyed camper travel – the holiday parks we stayed in were clean and commodious, and we’ve been told they’re all that way – and will probably opt for a camper to travel in Australia, but a slightly larger one. Are we spoiled or what?) Our excursion of the day was to drive out towards the base of the glacier and hike up the canyon until we’d had enough wind. Fifty years ago the glacier extended to where we are standing and, if I remember approximately correctly, 200 years ago it extended to sea level. (Susie likes to protect her head – the one she keeps bumping. I swear that on our jet-boat ride in Queenstown she had on two hats and two hoods, simultaneously!)

The next morning, the status was the same – heli-hike canceled - so I signed up for a shorter helicopter flight over the glacier, no landing. Later in the morning we were in the reservation center, checking e-mail (the wide availability of internet stations and cafes is really helpful in enabling us to keep in touch with family and others WHO ARE SO FAR AWAY) while waiting for my flight, when the reservation agent for the heli-hike caught me and said we’re flying now. You can be on the flight that leaves in a half-hour.

We flew over the glacier at mid-level, then landed on a bench slightly lower – elevation around 750 meters. We donned our ice boots, got instructions from two guides on ice-hiking techniques and safety and set off. My day pack had accidentally been left on the departed helicopter, so I was a bit concerned – it contained sunglasses, snacks, and extra gear – but there was no reason to be as the day was cloudy and we were not out for that long. Our guides had most of the exercise, chopping footholds, and we (nine of us on this trip) ambled along behind looking at crevasses and other formations in the ice, like this tube I’m in. Note the blue color of the ice. There was a deep drop-off just beyond where I’m squatting. (The pack I’m wearing was provided by the tour company and I’d had some of my gear in it.) The guide later found us a tube we could slide through – ‘twas fun.

I was wearing my U Michigan sweatshirt and one of the hikers asked me about it. I ‘splained my teaching semi-career and, as my keen ear had detected he was probably from the US also, I asked where he was from. Jackson, was the answer. Michigan? I asked. No, Wyoming. Oh, I said. My second guess was going to be Mississippi. He shuddered at this saying he participated in civil rights marches so Jackson, MS would not be his choice of residence. Turned out he and a partner had started Parenting magazine. They were bought out by Time magazine and the proceeds from that sale enabled him and his wife to retire in style: they enjoy winter and summer outdoor activities in Jackson, then travel fall and spring, typically spending a month or so in New Zealand. He and his wife and a partner with lots of publishing credentials were now trying to start a bird-watching magazine, but couldn’t find any willing investors. Said there was a large niche to fill, if anyone would like to invest.

After covering maybe a quarter mile in two hours of exploring, we found a landing site for the helicopter and were whisked back to town. It was a great adventure, but I think what I really wanted was to fly around the snow fields at the top of Mt. Cook and hike the top of the glacier. Next time.

Cheers.

Rob and Susie

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