Kayaks and Glaciers

Day started at 8.30 at Glacier Country Kayaks, fortunately right next door to our motel. Us 4 and a lady from New York called Sarah were on the tour. Our guide drove us out to Lake Mapourika in a minibus with trailer behind full of kayaks. Quick lesson in how to paddle and dressed ourselves in rubber skirt and pogies (rubber gloves that fit to the paddle handle) and we got into kayaks. Eddie and me in one double, Sam and Tash in another.

We paddled off with mist across the lake in patches and great reflections fo the surrounding trees and mountains - very tranquil setting. The sun came out and it started to warm up. Ed and I ere reasonable at paddling together. I was too tall to use the rudder so we had to steer using the paddles. Sam and Tash were less good and there was a constant banter of "Steer mummy, steer" and "paddle" from there boat. We stopped mid lake for some info on how it was formed - the melting end of the glacier displaced the earth millions of years ago, leaving the lake about 80m deep. We paddled further towards the Kiwi Sanctuary where a rare breed of Kiwi found only in this local area (historically it was cut off from anywhere else by glaciers on either side). The kiwi is being bred and released back into the wild and numbers are increasing.

We paddled round to a hidden bay - Echo Bay - Ed shouted his name with a great echo coming back. Further into the bay the channel narrowed and we paddled in right tot he heart of Kiwi habitat. Needless to say Tash and Sam had few encounters with the banks. Some of the trees here were 800 years old.

I'd had Ed's and my gloves balanced on my 'skirt' for a while and when we stopped towards the end of the creek one of each was missing!. Paddling back we found Ed's floating on the side of the creek and our guide found mine further up. Lucky gloves!

We paddled back the ay we had come and despite the landing point seeming to never get any closer we made it. Ed had got cold hands and paddled only occasionally by now so I was getting very achy paddling me, him and the heavy double kayak. Tash and Sam were lagging behind and got a tow from our guide to bring them home quicker. Ed and I ran aground just off shore and needed a shove back into deeper water to approach the beach from a slightly better angle.

Back on shore and into the minibus to the office. An enjoyable trip and great place for our first kayak experience.

We got lunch on the Kiwi Wildlife Centre in town (great pies) as we had a couple of hours before check in for our glacier flight.

At 1.45 we checked in and were taken over to the helicopter landing area. We had to wait a few minutes for our copter to return with some hikers and were entertained by the ground staff guy, who barely paused for breath. Another couple on our flight had never touched snow before! We took off with Steve our pilot and he gave a commentary on what we were seeing as we flew up the glacial valley, landing on the neve at the top. We spent just under 10 minutes on the snow up there, with the kids having snowball fights before returning back down the valley, with some extra banked turns thrown in for excitement. Really memorable flight.

We went back to the motel and picked up towels and swimming costumes and headed to the Glacier Hot Pools. 3 pools at 36, 38 and 40 degrees. Sam had a massage while we started in the 36 pool. We switched to the 38 pool but this was definitely colder. The 40 one was much warmer and we spent most time in the 36. We were in for just under 2 hours altogether relaxing muscles from kayaking earlier.

Tea was in the Landing where we got a special menu of burgers for free with our kayak booking. The burger was excellent, probably better then the ones in the Skygarden. Wine and desert good too and we left happy. Drive to Wanaka tomorrow, a long one.Baca lagi