Glacier Explorers Boat Ride – Aoraki Mt. Cook, New Zealand

Close your eyes and IMAGINE..

..You’re exploring a snow-covered glacier and feeling a chill run down your spine as you touch an iceberg with your bare hand…

…You’re cruising over a gorgeous lake and struck dumb by spectacular glacial views so perfect you can’t believe it’s all real

..You’re in heaven, surrounded by pristine mountains, glaciers and icebergs that have stood there for hundreds of years like heaven’s sentries who never sleep…

Now open your eyes because…

You don’t have to IMAGINE any of this. You don’t even have to go to heaven to discover, cruise and experience such beauty and awe, because all of this is possible right here on earth. I am of course referring to the Glacier Explorers Boat Ride to explore the Tasman Glacier in Aoraki Mt. Cook, situated in New Zealand’s South Island.

My husband and I signed up for this trip when we visited New Zealand in 2013 along with my siblings.

Here’s a pic of ‘Fan 5’ being smiley-weird (can you blame us? We were so darn happy to be there!!) ☺

Tasman Glacier

Approximately 27 kilometres long and 600 metres deep, the Tasman Glacier is New Zealand’s largest glacier. It is surrounded by a terminal lake that is increasing in size year-on-year thanks to the melting effects of global warming. Icebergs of every imaginable shape and size periodically tear away from the terminal wall of the glacier and melt into the rapidly growing lake below. If you’re lucky, you may be able to touch (and even taste!) some glacial crystals, believed to be between 300 and 500 years old.

Glacier Explorers

Our Glacier Explorers trip took about 2.5 hours in total. It is a unique and leisurely means of exploring the Tasman Glacier. As a bonus, our friendly Kiwi tour guide Sean explained the history (and the geography!) of the glacier, the terminal lake and Mt. Cook National Park. He started every new fact with a “Did you know that…?” I found this both funny and cute! ☺ For example, he told us that the messy rubble of rock, also known as ‘moraine’, on top of the Tasman Glacier may look dirty, but is actually quite useful because it acts as an insulator for the ice below and protects it from the harsh sun’s rays. This ultimately helps with the preservation of precious water, a resource that’s getting scarcer everywhere (even New Zealand!).

We spent over an hour on the lake, but we were so mesmerised that it felt like mere minutes. All of this against a spectacular backdrop of some of New Zealand’s highest mountains, Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman. I was in absolute heaven! If I had a bar of Belgian dark chocolate to munch on at the time, it would have been a truly spiritual experience ☺

The Trip

When:

The glacier’s terminal lake freezes over in winter (June-August) so the start of the season is subject to the lake thawing (it is a boat trip, after all!)

Glacier Explorers operates between September and May (i.e. spring, summer and autumn in New Zealand)

We went in March.

Scheduled daily departures at: 8.00 AM, 9.30 AM, 11 AM, 12.30 PM, 2 PM, 3.30 PM and 5 PM.

The details:

We signed up for the 2 PM tour and checked in at 1.30 PM at the activities desk located inside The Hermitage Hotel.

I would recommend that you check in at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time. And pre-booking this activity prior to arrival is essential.

Tickets for children between 4 and 14 are cheaper than adult tickets. Children younger than 4 are not allowed on the trip.

Address: Hermitage Hotel, Terrace Road, Aoraki Mount Cook Village

A coach picked us up and dropped us off near the lake. We walked for about 20 minutes before being picked up by the Glacier Explorers boat (which is actually more of a raft, but very stable and very awesome).

Even if you’re not much of a walker, this particular short hike will wake up your senses and give you a small preview of the coming attractions. Expect adventure, awe and wonder, because that is exactly what you’re going to get on this trip!

The start point near the parking lot.

The walk was very scenic.

In about 20 minutes we reached the lake where we had to board the rafts.

Our solicitous tour guide helped us get into the raft and we were finally on our way. The craft cruised for a while, affording us fantastic views of the snow-topped mountains, the glacier and the calm yet somehow eerie lake. We got quite close to the Tasman Glacier and saw its melting ice face like a movie in slow-mo. And we were greeted by icebergs carved into the lake’s waters, which reminded me of the Titanic!

I even ate some glacial ice.

It tasted strangely bland, but then, how many people can claim to have eaten glacier ice? I CAN! ☺The 2-plus hours that we spent on this trip were absolutely mind-blowing. But don’t take my word for it – you have to experience it for yourself!

Have you taken the Glacier Explorers trip? I would love to hear from you about your experience! Drop me a line in the comment box below.