Experiências de Helihike e Voo em Geleiras na Nova Zelândia

Another unforgettable highlight of my trip to New Zealand! Hannah, our guide, was incredible—she helped carve out safe paths for us to follow. I’ve always been a bit nervous on steep terrain, so she placed me right behind her in the lineup. That way, I could follow her exact foot placements and navigate each section safely.

It is our first time to do a heli glacier ride and it was 10/10! James, our captain, was so skilful and reassuring. The ride itself was so comfortable. It never felt like a rush during our time in the glacier landing. It was just so perfect for a fun acitivity while in Franz Josef town.

We were incredibly lucky. When we arrived the previous afternoon, the weather was overcast, but the forecast predicted a clear, sunny day for the next day. After we left, the weather turned cloudy again. We had heard so many people had to cancel due to bad weather, so we were fortunate that our rare trip wasn't ruined by disappointment. The time booked on the platform was 11:30 AM, but we realized this might be problematic as the drive back to Wanaka took longer than expected. So, as soon as we arrived in Fox Glacier town the day before, we went to the counter to ask if we could adjust our departure time. A very kind lady from Quanzhou at the counter helped us and confirmed we could change it to 7:30 AM. We also completed all the necessary procedures at that time. We arrived at 7 AM the next morning for the pre-trip briefing, which was very clear. We also received socks, shoes, and rain pants. Since we were all wearing Gore-Tex jackets, we didn't take the provided tops after the guide confirmed it was fine. We took a small bus to the helicopter base, and boarding the helicopter was orderly. The entire process was meticulously planned, and they even considered our desire to take photos, providing ample reminders. The flight to the glacier was quick, and the guides were already in position. After helping everyone put on their crampons, they led us out in groups. The guides were very attentive to everyone's safety, even using shovels to create steps on inclines to make climbing easier. They didn't miss any spots where ropes were needed, ensuring everyone completed the glacier hike safely. This trip is highly recommended. You can witness the magnificent beauty of nature and also see the traces of the glacier receding due to global warming. It's a worthwhile experience for a rare trip to New Zealand.

If you’re reading this, this is a sign for you to book this heli-hike experience, super worth it! You’ll immediately forget that it costs you that much to see the glacier. Had a fantastic time with the guide Cale who made sure that everyone was safe and very informative. My face glows every time I recall the time there and share this stories to my friends😍 my trip was in early August–so lucky with the weather that weekend, felt like I was on a different planet💓

The check-in location is on the second floor, left side, of the airport. Other counters belong to different tour companies, but the one starting with "Tasman" is easy to find. You must arrive half an hour early. There's only one road to Mount Cook Airport, and delays can easily happen if the car in front is too slow. We were 10 minutes late this time because of that. I don't know what would have happened if we hadn't called ahead to inform them, so I recommend adding an extra 20 minutes to the required arrival time as a buffer (you can enjoy the scenery around the airport, watch planes take off and land, and take photos anyway). Once you arrive, just follow the instructions and enjoy your trip, but communication will primarily be in English. The itinerary involves taking a helicopter over mountains and valleys to the glacier, then dropping people off. This pick-up and drop-off process will involve two groups arriving separately for both the outbound and return journeys. So, while the other group waits (15 minutes), you can enjoy and take photos at the original spot, and even ask the guide for instructions and practice using ice axes to climb out. The glacier scenery is the most breathtaking I've ever seen in my life. Living in a tropical country, I never get the chance to see such sights, so you absolutely must come. We were also very lucky to have incredibly clear weather this time, allowing us to see Mount Cook. On a side note, our original itinerary was for the morning of the previous day. We were staying in Twizel at the foot of the mountain, and the forecast already made us feel doomed. Indeed, it was windy and rainy that day, and you can imagine it was even worse on the mountain. Sure enough, we received an email informing us of the cancellation. So I called the counter directly to confirm, and they asked if adjusting to 11 AM the next day was possible. We had reserved extra days for the glacier hike, and this came in handy. Of course, we said yes, and it turned out we had great weather on the actual day of the trip. I highly recommend setting aside 1-2 days as a buffer for potential delays, and you can also check the forecast in advance to be prepared.

Unique and fun experience. A few minutes helicopter ride to and from the helipad to the glacier. 2-hour guided walk on the glacier. The landscape of the glacier is varied and awe-inspiring. Provided: Full set of cold weather gear (to wear over your own clothes), shoulder sling pouch (to carry a water bottle), boots, and crampons. We had to watch our step, but it was safe and not difficult. It's important to learn to step into the ground forcefully with the crampon for maximum traction on uneven terrain. The guide was great.

De principio a fin, esta experiencia superó todas las expectativas. Nos alegramos mucho de haber optado por el vuelo desde Queenstown: no solo nos ahorró 12 horas de viaje y una noche en Franz Josef, sino que el vuelo de 1,5 horas sobre los Alpes del Sur fue impresionante y valió la pena solo por el costo. La caminata fue lo suficientemente desafiante como para ser nuestra aventura más grande y única. No somos escaladores, pero los guías lo hicieron factible para una pareja de 60 y 70 años con una condición física moderada. ¡No podemos recomendar este viaje lo suficiente!

It was a truly satisfying experience. Luckily, our chosen course was only for our team that day, so when we checked in, the staff upgraded us two levels higher, allowing us to fully enjoy the glacier and scenic views by helicopter! When the helicopter briefly landed at the summit, the pilots enthusiastically took commemorative photos for us, which was even better~~ I highly recommend this as a South Island activity.