Ice Up Your Summer In New Zealand

New Zealand is the ideal summer destination. This lower half of the world is in the midst of a chilly winter.

New Zealand’s winter is a sight to see. I would recommend its icebergs. The Tasman Iceberg, located under Mount Cook, which is the peak of the Southern Alps mountain range, is one of the best. The iceberg is more than 500 meters thick. The iceberg looks like a big plain covered with snow. A light airplane flies over the iceberg and gently lands on it. Instead of landing on its wheels, however, it lands on ski plates. You can ski here in July and August.

The fjord tour is a twist in this iceberg tour. A fjord is a long, narrow estuary with steep sides, made when the sea floods a glacial valley.

The fjord tour of South Island is Milford Sound. “Sound” refers to a narrow strip of sea. The fijord is surrounded by icebergs with a nunatek. Milford Sound is like a calm pond. Milford Sound is worth exploring in a pleasure boat.

An Air New Zealand flight from Tokyo dropped me off in Christchurch. It is the largest city in South Island and is home to the southernmost U.S. and New Zealand military base. From here I got on a flight to Queenstown. Queenstown is the highlight of the South Island tour. It marks the start of the most attractive tourist attractions like Milford Sound, Coronet Peak, the Remarkables, Treble Cone, and Cardrona.

The flight takes an hour and 10 minutes. I will never forget the beautiful scenery of the Southern Alps I enjoyed from up in the sky. The mountain range looks almost godlike.

Queenstown is located in the southern part of the Southern Alps. The propeller plane made a big u-turn and I was able to see a big lake and houses. This is Queenstown. The lake is Lake Wakatipu. It is 4km wide and 85km long. This too is a creation of the icebergs. This lake was created when the icebergs from the Southern Alps mountain range melted.

Queenstown must be the most beautiful city in the world. Working as a travel reporter for 13 years, I have not yet seen a city more spectacular. A lake in the middle of mountains, houses dotted in between, hills housing sheep, and a beautiful golf course captured my eye. Beautiful steam ships across the lake and the whole plain turned the area into a snow fairy tale.

The next day at 6:50 a.m., it was still dark in Queenstown. I get on a coach heading to Milford Sound. I was accompanied by tourists from all over the world as I passed through the fjord, Lake Wakatipu, and the Te Anau Lakeside. It takes five hours and 30 minutes and 297 km to get to Milford Sound. The coach did take breaks in between, but it takes so long mostly because the roads are so rough.

The coach ride is an exciting one. There is such beautiful scenery; scenery you might have gazed at in the Lord of the Rings movies.

At 12:45 p.m., a pleasure boat takes off. It glides through the sea created by the fjord and icebergs. It is snowing heavily, but that does not deter tourists from gazing at the view from the third-floor deck. The waterfall from a cliff above captures everyone’s attention. I see dolphins and seals every now and then. They feed on the crayfish that abound in these waters.

It is 2:40 p.m. and the boat ride is over. I get back on the coach headed to Queenstown. Another four hours and 50 minutes of riding is awaiting me. It is the same rough coach ride. When the coach gets out of the fjord region, I can see the clear blue sky and not a sign of rain. Te Anau village amazes me the second time around as well. The mountain range and beautiful lakes lure me to them. This place is the place to go to if you want to get away from the hectic summer back home.

summer@donga.com