I have been dreaming of taking a helicopter flight for as long as I can remember, I've come close on a couple of occasions but plans had slipped through. This time I was in Franz Joseph on New Zealand's West Coast and Glacier Helicopters made my dream a reality. It was raining and gloomy that day and as I walked into town I thought this is just my luck, problably wont be able to fly due to the weather. Not so - the team at the main street office said all systems were go and the afternoon looked to improve. Trouble was I was by myself, and you are looking at $1k plus per hour to charter a private flight. Glacier Helicopters took my number and around lunch time they called to say that another couple had booked a flight and I was welcome to join. I had to race to get my camera and made it back just in time. We got airbourne, the Pilot was a very friendly guy who soon got the condensation off the winsdreens and you could see the township shrinking below us. Pretty soon we were heading up the gorge towards the Glacier, seeing the native trees on our right and flying right on the verge of massive cliffs. The ice looked like a postcard once we got above the clouds, then you see a tiny shadow of the chopper moving over the ice below and you realise the immense size of the Glacier.
This was all fantastic but the best was yet to come. We soared over the top of Fox Glacier and passed over the ridge surrounded by mysterious jagged snow covered mountain peaks with a backdrop of clear blue sky. The 3D immersion of being in the chopper surrounded by glass windows was like nothing else I have ever experienced. My camera was clicking and filming and I got some great footage which I enjoy reviwing, but it is not quite the same as being there for real. We landed on the neive atop Franz Joseph and played in the snow for a bit, venturing out to beyond the landing circle to make new foot prints was cool until I got stuck and had to roll out of the stuff knee deep!! We then travelled back down via Franz Joseph Glacier for the most increadible round trip. And this was one of their shorter Helicopter flight options!
Can't wait to come back one day and do another flight with these guys - amazing stuff ///