TRIP 4 WEST COAST Fox Glacier guided hike © West Coast Tourism BELOW: Franz Josef Glacier © Franz Josef Glacier Guides
TRIP 4
a journey to
Fox Glacier
T
he trip south from Hokitika takes you into glacier country, with the towering Southern Alps and thunderous sea framing the scene. Every settlement you drive through has stories to tell, many of hardship and triumph, of history being made as early European settlers made their mark. The road turns inland and takes you through Ross, once a thriving gold-mining centre and now a place to try your luck gold panning. On to Whataroa on the banks of the Whataroa River, where local carvers operate out of their studios, and there is a small museum of Māori artefacts. The rugged coastline means that at the top of every bluff you are rewarded with wide vistas. Stop at the many viewing spots and take photos worthy of a National Geographic front cover.
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M U S T D O ’ S • W E S T COA S T
Hokitika to Fox Glacier via SH 6 2hr 6min, 157km
