Up, up and away

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Geo: -43.4643, 170.018

The only reason people go to Fox Glacier is the overpowerig presence of Mount Cook, Mount Tasman, Fox Glacier, Franz Josef Glacier and all the accompanying stuff of mountains and snow.

And the best way to see all this is by helicopter - given their ability to fly high and slow and land on the snowfields high in the mountains.

So we squeezed into this little helicoper together who two other passengers and the pilot and up we went. The photos speak for themselves really. Mountain peaks clad in snow, glaciers, mountain huts high on the peaks, getting out onto the snow. All brilliant stuff - you can tell from Peter's smile he thought this was much the best way to get up a ountain, not all that walking stuff.

On our return we found our rather ordinary motel but then set off to a lake at which, we were told, we would find a decent restaurant. We did, and it was, but we also discovered there was a walk round the lake with vantage points offering views of the mountains with reflections in the lake. Too late to do it that evening we returned next morning and the views were magnificent - but the reflections spoiled by ripples on the lake. Following brunch in the same restaurant we drove a little further to another viewpoint from which we could see mountains and fox glacier.

And so off to Queenstown - capital of the jetboat, bungee jump fraternity.

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