Halfway down the South Island’s West Coast the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers descend from the Southern Alps ice plateau into temperate rainforest, offering a contrast seen nearly nowhere else on earth. Wild coastlines and rainforests part briefly for a handful of tiny settlements before zipping shut again as you head south to Haast Pass. These raw forces have shaped this landscape for millennia.
A Landscape In Motion
Although the Fox and Franz glaciers are among the most accessible in the world, their terminal faces at the snout of the glaciers are fast receding. Hardly at glacial pace… even images 10 or 15 years ago no longer reflect the current views you will see.
Franz Josef Glacier Township and Trails
Franz Josef Glacier township hums with the energy of a bustling tourist stop. Its township provides a lively experience and the usual amenities. A short drive followed by a river bed hike takes you to viewpoints where you can still see the terminal face and feel the glacier's dynamic power - its scars on the landscape, the creaking ice, and the remnants of its past advances and retreats. Longer walks here include Roberts point, and Lake Wombat (a kettle lake). Short walks explore the valley. All walks have great information panels enroute.
Fox Glacier Township and Lake Matheson
Fox Glacier township, a 40 min drive further south, is the portal to its namesake ice flow. Just outside the small town lies Lake Matheson, where, on calm days, the mirror-like surface offers reflections of the country’s highest peaks, Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. The walk around the lake, through ancient podocarp forest, is a chance to fall in step with nature’s rhythm and observe wildlife. Spot the raucous kākā, an endangered forest parrot and the elusive New Zealand long-finned eel, ōrea, beneath the glassy lake surface.
Heli-Hiking on the Ice Plateau
For a more adventurous and wallet damaging option, heli-hiking tours whisk you up to the mid-glacier, where you can explore towering seracs, deep blue crevasses, and otherworldly ice formations. Don't fret if it's raining, often the weather is sunny with blue skies high up on the ice plateau!
These glaciers may be in retreat, but they are magnificent, and seeing them is an unforgettable glimpse into New Zealand's frozen heart.
11 Days
