Lake Tekapo & Mt. Cook

Winya_wynah
Thu 14 Jan 2010 08:25
The weather brightened up as we headed towards the ice-fed Lake Tekapo.
The cloudy blue waters are the result of rock flour in suspension.
 
 
Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of Lake Tekapo.
 
 
A quick go on the sew-saw before we set up camp!
 
 
The icy blue colours increased as the sun set.
 
 
Then on to Mount Cook,
 
 
Sometimes you can see it sometimes you can't (as I write it is shorouded in mist and rain)!
 
 
Sun settling over the the highest mountain in NZ.
 
 
Today we went for a cruise on Lake Tasman amongst the icebergs
 
 
The huge chunks of ice break off the end of the glacier
 
 
In the glacier the ice is steely blue
 
 
as it is compressed to 8 times the normal density of refridgerator ice.
 
 
Exposed to the sun and air the crystals reform and the ice becomes white and opaque
 
 
This ice is 300 years old - cold and heavy!