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ADVENTURES IN NEW ZEALAND
CLIMBING FOX GLACIER New Zealand’s got better rides than a theme park. Over the years I’ve walked glaciers in various parts of the Swiss and Austrian Alps, but until recently I had never been on the vertical parts, tip-toeing among the crevasses, pillars and ice caves. But last March I visited this world—on the West Coast of New Zealand’s longest and most accessible river of ice, the Fox Glacier. I joined about a dozen other folks of all ages—most with no prior glacier or mountaineering experience—for an improbable 3-hour hike in the remote middle of this slowly moving, grinding, cracking ice flow. Location: about a mile up, and within sight of 10,000’ high snowcaps and the Tasman Sea, the ocean that separates the West Coast of New Zealand from Australia, 1,000 miles to the west.
WESTLAND LODGE: I NEEDED AN EXTRA DAY. I would have enjoyed luxuriating an extra day in the care of this extraordinary New Zealand couple, who somehow manage to find time to be perfect hosts while also managing their sizeable elk and deer ranch (Grant) and teaching a full day at the local elementary school (Bev). But an adventure awaited. You can book your Fox Glacier adventure as part of your |
Glacier Walking 
The morning began under luxurious coverlets at Home at First’s very popular Westland
lodging about an hour north of Fox Glacier. Climbing out of bed was easy, though—the
promise of hosts Grant and Bev Muir’s famous breakfast was an inspiration that made
my stomach talk.