When Cameron wants to photograph blue ice, he’ll photograph blue ice. Thanks to his persistence, we had one of our best adventures ever exploring Fox Glacier in New Zealand.
The website said it was all booked out and so he emailed the company. Still nothing. Then one place opened up. I was excited for him to go and I was pretty happy to save NZ$400 by not going myself. But he was determined to experience the glacier with his wife so he sent another email (or two). And what do you know? Two days before the scheduled trip, another spot opened up!
Fox Guides warned us that we’ll be with a group with two kids so the pace might be slower. It was actually perfect for us as any photographer’s partner would know, the artist likes to take his time.
What makes a glacier? Two things according to our guide: constant snow and movement downhill. I remember reading about this constant snow prior to going and it did not make sense. How can there be one spot where there’s constant falling snow?
High, wide, flat. These are the thoughts to keep in mind with every step on the glacier. Lift your foot high with each step, legs wide and land flat.
Helicopter landing on the glacier, hiking and admiring the 13-kilometre glacial beauty… as if those jaw-dropping experiences weren’t enough, our guides then showed us a magnificent ice cave and informed us that we were going in!
And who do they pick to go first? Cameron, of course! How did he go? Well, after both of us went in, four others in the group got scratches from the ice and one of them turned to Cam, ‘How could you not have gotten a scratch with how you did it?’ Basically, Cam showed us how not to do it but remained unscathed. We recommend wearing long shorts or leggings when you go.
Fox Guides was very professional from booking and throughout. We had two guides with us, Sam and Vea. They were lovely and just as excited as we were, especially as we had a sunny day with little cloud cover which they said is quite rare. All the gear is good quality – leather boots, raincoats, backpacks, crampons and everything you need!
Even though $400 per person is a lot to spend, the experience is worth every cent! It includes two helicopter rides (to and from the glacier) and we know that alone can cost north of $200! Plus you get up to 3 hours of ice time, a taste of glacier water (you can fill up drink bottles too), unique photo opportunities and another chance to marvel at God’s creation.
Story and Photography by Rachel Herweynen
You two always amaze me. Lovely adventurous couple….