Day 3 marks the day of Sky Diving in Fox Glacier. The plan was to get breakfast in Hotikita, set off for Franz Josef which would take about 2.5 hours. Grab lunch in the small lovely town in Franz Josef, top up some gas and head off for Fox Glacier. Plenty of time since the jump was to be scheduled at 2pm.
The drive towards Fox Glacier was about grassier and more greenery. Other than the initial coastal route, as we pass Whataroa, the roads become a bit more windier, especially the segment from Franz Josef to Fox Glacier.
Lake Ianthe, winds were very calm, giving me the opportunity to shoot the lovely reflections of the treelines off the lake =)
The disappointing part is, when we reach Fox Glacier, the weather was not too good for flying. The clouds were thick and looming. I got to learn from the guides the next day that the region around the twin glaciers are wet most of the years. And if you are able to dive or take a heli ride from this area, you are very very lucky. Hence, we got to do some tweaking on our itinerary while the Sky Diving was postponed to the next day.
Lake Matheson, is the scenic view that is most photographed. You see this view on many of the touristy postcards. Too bad, the weather did not allow me to see Mount Cook, nor take a nice reflection of the Mountains.
Lake Matheson Trail, nice flat, cooling walk.
Greeted with a rainbow after our walk.
Fox Glacier, looking out of the valley.
Fox Glacier, from a distance. Since a couple of years back, you can no longer explore on it by foot but will require a helicopter ride to be on it.
Let's see how the weather would be like on Day 4. The morning we would be going onto the glacier and the afternoon, the leap of faith.