What's that Whirring?

A helicopter!

I've neglected to take good photos of our 2 bedroom villa at Glen Fern Villas in Franz Josef. They were comfy and lovely and had a mountain backdrop. A very nice spot for 2 nights.

We woke up on a windy and threatening day. We weren't even sure our helicopter tour would be a go, but we checked in and found out the pilot still wanted to fly. Okay with us!

John and I sat in front with Jules, the pilot. Strapped in and off we went! I've always wanted to fly in a helicopter and it didn't disappoint. As a matter of fact, because of the windy day, it was quite the experience! Jules flew us up the massive Franz Josef glacier to the mountain tops above it. We followed the mountain ridge line over to the Fox glacier and flew down that. We were supposed to fly around Mt. Cook, which we had a clear and spectacular view of, but the buffeting winds and my immense fear kept us from trying. I simply was terrified! I was fine until the winds on top of the mountain line bumped us around a bit. Jules later said it was a bit too choppy even for his comfort. Yikes!

Here are some photos:

The Helicopter:

John and me in the front. He wasn't excited or anything.:

We landed on the Fox Glacier and piled out for some fun in the snow. Words can't describe the enormity of the glaciers or the colors you see. It's unforgettable.

Can you see the blue?

We were above the clouds:

On top of Fox Glacier landing area. Two other helicopters landed after us:

Again, this was an experience of a lifetime. Terrifying, beautiful, exhilarating. The photos and my words can't bring to life what we were able to live. We are lucky.

Up Next: Glacier walk