Queenstown (Contiki Day 8)

Today began with a short driver to the Joe Glacier (the other glacier beside the Franz Josef Glacier). I decided to go all out on this activity, and do a ‘heli-hike’. This involves taking a helicopter up to a high part on the glacier (normally not accessible without extensive experience and equipment). But for a few NZ dollars, you experience this with a short helicopter ride.

(Heading up the Fox Glacier with my fellow Contiki Explores. It was a blue sky day which is rare on the 'Wet Coast'. This was the first day in a while they had been able to heli into the glacier, so we were very fortunate)

The glacier wasn’t as flat and smooth as I was expecting. There were tons of caves, crevasses, land bridges, and pools. The guide really had to pick the line to avoid any potentially dangerous spots. Each hiker gets a pair of crampons (spikes used to walk on ice), old leather boots, wool socks and a walking stick.

(me looking like an explorer. Check out the the wool socks and boots. To the left is Lauren from Australia, and to the right is Emily from England)

We spent the next couple of hours walking around the glacier. We went through a couple of caves where you had to be down on your hands and knees, and squeezing through some tight places. It was kinda scary thinking about the hundreds of pounds of ice on top of you, or the really deep crevasses. The helicopter ride each way was amazing as we ripped through the valley.

(Mitch squeezing through one of the tiny caves)

After the glacier trek it was on to Queenstown. Wooohoooo! Queenstown is the adventure capital of the world. Home to the origins of bungy jumping and jet boating. Tons of other activities including mountain biking, river boarding (going down a white water river on a boogie board), skydiving, whitewater rafting, para sailing, hand gliding, etc, etc. Plus a pretty active night life.

That night we had a group dinner up at the Skyline restaurant. You have to take a gondola up to the restaurant where you eat in front of a magnificent view of the town and surrounding mountains.

After dinner we went to a bar, where one of the activities is ‘horizontal bungy’ (only in Queenstown!). Contestants are strapped to a bungy cord. They have to run the length of the bar to grab a yardstick. Once holding the yardstick, the bungy cord kicks in, and the contestant is whisked back (some people fell on their ass and slid the length of the bar). Then they have to chug the yardstick as fast as possible, and the winner gets a free jump at the Nevis Bungy jump. It was hilarious.