Ice bergs fascinate me! A huge chunk of ice lying so still in the water, shining with beauty yet so dangerous to approach.
As a kid growing up I saw ice bergs on TV and magazines. The Discovery channel would always project images of these huge chunks of ice in far away lands. They captivated my imagination.
I knew I had to go, no clue how, when or where. But I'm going.
Great things come from spontaneous decisions.
All my life I've never been in a country with ice bergs. Until now (2016). I heard there were ice bergs in a glacier lake in New Zealand and did my research. Scrolling through maps, lists and images I pieced together a plan.
For weeks I kept a sharp eye on the weather patterns and finally it looked like a really long high pressure system was rolling in. This was my chance! The next morning I dropped my schedule. Cancelled all my meetings, appointments and drove five hours.
Welcome to Tasman Glacier Lake, Mount Cook, New Zealand.
I'm showing you now so you can get a image in your head of the area I'm talking about as well as the sheer scale of it. These were taken from my plane ride days after.
I drove for five hours through twisty roads and icy mountain passes. Finally arrived in Mount Cook village, exhausted and ready for bed I found out all the accommodation was booked out. Bummer.
Luckily, I could slept in my van in the camp ground as a last resort.
Unfortunately, that night was by far the coldest night of my life. Probably -15 degrees Celsius, my head felt like a popsicle and the blanket frozen to the windows.
The next day made up for it.
Having completely disrupted my route of life.
My dream came true.
Thanks to stand up paddle boarding for this one.
I started back in 2013 not knowing what it was. Never to even conceive such an idea to paddle around ice bergs.
It was freezing, scary and unbelievable all at once. Completely out of my comfort zone with the biggest smile on my face.
The original photos were uploaded here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/30309824@N08/albums/72157672699835875
I hope your dream can also come true.
"ICEBERG RIGHT AHEAD!!!!"
What a fantastic journey and inspiring post! Thank you for sharing the realization of your dream with us, you sure got my upvote! Maybe you'd also like my travelog, mostly about the Canadian Rockies so far, check it out:
http://steemit.com/@eric-boucher
Enjoy!
Namaste :)
Wonderful photos, what an amazing thing to do. Just don't name your paddle board Titanic and you should be fine!
It was amazing, but I was secretly freaking out. The paddle boards were inflatable so potentially they could have popped. I had a life jacket underneath my blue jacket on the second day. It's glacial water, I would have turned into an ice berg.
Yikes!
thank you, just put it on my bucket list, touch an iceberg!
Wow- really cool :-)
Thanks @lichtblick! :)
Awesome photos! Looks like a great time.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful adventure. I love the pictures, and the wide smiles!
Always smile :) Thanks @vebo3
Wow Wow Wow - amazing - what a memory
Paddle boarding around a iceberg! Epic experience, thanks for sharing!
Cheers bro! :) I still can't really describe the feeling, I could probably paddle around it forever
That looks like an amazingly barren yet beautiful place. You should have just dived in and swam over to the iceberg though, its would have been more excilharting you could say hehehe there is some guy who actually does that, swims in freezing water XD brrrrrr no thanks
Thank you! I put my hand in and it went numb. I would have died in that water. Plus can't swim with a nonwater proof camera ;)
Thank you for my adventure I could have never had. The pictures are amazing and the adventure you enjoyed a once in a lifetime happening.
Thanks @team101, why can you not try something like this? If you have plans to come to New Zealand then yes
stunning photos
Good job...nice photos!
Unbelievably stunning pictures!!!
i also have seen icebergs! In Twillingate, Newfoundland ( Northeast) about 20 years ago.
We actually plucked a piece out of the water -- kept in an icebox for a couple weeks, but it got defrosted, camping, lol! and once home, put it in our freezer, just to have.
Laughed out loud a couple of times over your head feeling like a popsicle and your blanket being stuck to the window in -15 degrees Celsius!!!
Thanks!!!
Ah yes, I was in Newfoundland but never got a chance to visit them. You've got some pure fresh water there. Yes, the cold crept under my skin. Totally worth it.
Wow amazing views, really great pictures!
Amazing photos and an amazing journey!
Are you a kiwi Daxon? Man NZ is Beautiful :D
I'm half Irish/ Canadian. Born and lived my life in Ireland.
Mum: Don't touch the ice berg DO NO TOUCH THE ICE BERG
You: Touches ice berg
Mum: he touched the ice berg boyy you gon learrrn today
That was the exact conversation, verbatim :) I touch it
You have beautiful imagery! Great post and happy to see you made your dream come true! I need to do the same and start working on making my dreams come true! Thank you for the inspiration @daxon
Great stuff @travelista :) I did it in slow steps to finally realise what's possible.
What a super, cool adventure! Love the photos!
Great photos, Fabulous vistas!! Nice One. Scary you say? I believe you're just following that other Kiwi explorer Sir Edmund Hillary when he said "It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." Ahem -15 C positively balmy temps. that's our Spring weather in Edmonton Canada;-) Cheers
I feel for Edmonton. Super hot in the summer and permafrost winters. Yes, I really wanted to do it so I dropped everything, the fear only hit on the day, that inevitable moment of true.
What an incredible journey. Added this to my bucket list. The pictures are so wonderful. Crisp and a delight to look at. Thank you
Thanks, yes all shot on my Canon 5d (which is now breaking, Steem will help for that)
WOW! that just be an amazing experience, I've always wanted to visit icebergs and see them in real life. so I'm very glad you are sharing this great pictures
Thank you :) make it happen
I was at a glacier in Alaska many years ago and saw them in the lake. The most otherworldly blue I've ever seen. Thank you for a beautiful post.
Paddle boarding on ice...I like it.