4 minute read
Glacier Country Must-Do's
Franz Josef
Guides tour, Franz Josef Glacier © Adobe Stock
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Five kilometres from Franz Josef Village, one of the most accessible glaciers in the world rumbles. A one-and-a-half hour walk from the Franz Josef car park will get you within 75m of its grand glacial face.
Fox Glacier
Guided tour, Fox Glacier © West Coast Tourism
For dazzling views of Fox Glacier, follow the Fox Glacier South Side Walk, a two-hour trail tracing the south bank of the Fox River through ancient podocarp rainforest to a stunning viewpoint.
Scenic Flights
Soar over great masses of ice by helicopter or plane. Helicopters are favoured for snow landings whereas scenic flights cover a whopping 200km of pristine alpine scenery. Award-winning Heli Hike Fox Glacier fly over astonishing terrain before depositing you right there on the glacier.
Heli-hiking
Guided heli-hiking tours to both glaciers forge a route through, up and over the ice. Crawl through ice caves and arches and stride over untouched snow.
White-water Rafting
In Franz Josef, rafting experiences vary from gentle Grade 2 thrills to an extreme Grade 5 adventure.
Quad Biking
Bounce along rainforest tracks, riverbanks and grassland with Franz Josef glacier as your backdrop.
Kayak on Lake Mapourika
Hit the water and paddle beside your guide to places enveloped by snow-iced mountain tops and Jurassic rainforest. Gain local insight into the region, its glaciers and terrain.
Lake Matheson
Lake Matheson © Adobe Stock
Easily Aotearoa’s best known ‘mirror lake’. Just 5km from Fox Glacier township, come and see the perfect reflection of Aoraki Mt Cook in its glass-like water – best experienced on the gentle, 90-minute looped Lake Matheson/Te Ara Kairaumati Walk.
Gillespies Beach
For stunning views of the Southern Alps, gold mining remnants and invigorating coastal walks, this beach is just out of Fox Glacier. Stay at the campsite for its nearby seal colony, scattered mining relics and walks to Gillespies Lagoon where there's an old miners' tunnel.
Kayak Ōkārito Lagoon
Twenty-five minutes north of Franz Josef Glacier, join Ōkārito Kayaks for an exploration of the waterways around Ōkārito Lagoon. With a snowy mountain backdrop, paddle past white herons and rare birds. Freedom rentals and guided trip are both available.
South Westland Salmon Farm
A beautiful pit stop along SH 6, call in for salmon feeding, a cosy café with wood burner, an elevated deck with views of the salmon farm and a salmon shop.
Lake Gault Track
During the course of three hours and 8km, each panoramic view of Aoraki Mt Cook is better than the last, and if the weather plays ball, the same vistas are mirrored in the lake.
Waiho Hot Tub Experience
Sinking into a private wood-fired hot tub certainly isn't a bad way to finish a day on the ice. Soak and dine packages mean you needn’t lift a finger.
Paddle and Soak
Get on the water with Franz Josef Wilderness Tours and kayak the glacial black waters of Lake Mapourika. Afterward, jump in Waiho Hot Tubs and warm your extremities back up.
White Heron Sanctuary Tours
White heron / kōtuku © Adobe Stock
An informative and fun tour through undisturbed native forest to see the only White Heron/ kōtuku nesting and breeding site in New Zealand. Located near Whataroa, a drive to Ōkārito Lagoon is followed by a jet boat ride up the river.
Skydive Fox or Franz Josef
The ultimate thrill and a great way to see the glaciers. Because everyone needs an epic story to tell.
Westland Te Poutini National Park
Extending from the Southern Alps to the West Coast, this is a landscape of dramatic contrasts, forming part of Te Wāhipounamu South West New Zealand World Heritage Area. Make the most of your time here with guided tours, rainforest hikes, scenic flights, rafting and guide-led heli-hikes.
West Coast Wildlife Centre
In Westland’s lowland forest lives the only remaining population of the endangered rowi – New Zealand’s rarest kiwi. Meet one yourself at this wildlife centre in Franz Josef. They run a successful hatch and release programme for the rowi and Haast tokoeka kiwi.
Westland Wonderland
Gracing the movie screen in the Alpine Adventure Centre theatre in Franz Josef, experience the best of the surrounding landscape and nature of Glacier Country in 2D format. Running hourly from 10am.
Glacier Valley Eco Tours
Provided with big ole raincoats, umbrellas, hot drinks and snacks, take a guided walking tour in Glacier Country. Groups are small and the pace is relaxed. Get ready for gigantic waterfalls, icy discoveries and an enrapturing array of flora and fauna.
