TASMAN GLACIER

This morning we were taken by bus to the Tasman Valley to see the glacier. We had a 1.5km alpine walk to get to the lake and then boarded a jet boat and taken to see the pieces of icebergs that had broken off the glacier. We were able to get up close to one piece that had toppled over overnight so was safe to do so. We were able to touch the ice. We then went to see the glacier but weren't able to get too close in case some broke away. This glacier wasn't anything like the ones I had seen in Canada. In Canada they were white and blue and clean looking but this looks dirty due to being covered in rock mantle (rocks, debris and soil) but it does insulate the ice and slow the melting process. We have been lucky with the weather as on all APT trips this season the tour director said they haven't been able to see MT Cook. Although the weather has been good it was not good enough to take a helicopter flight over the mountain and glacier as it was too windy up where we were to have gone.
We have an early 7.30am start in the morning so as to get to Dunedin in time to do a train journey tomorrow afternoon which was scheduled for Tuesday but had to be brought forward to Monday afternoon.
Photos
Broken off pieces of iceberg
Pieces of iceberg
Tasman Glacier
Jet Boat
Jan and Kay
MT Cook ResortRead more