Glacier new Zealand South Island

Guided walks and heli hikes on the South Island of New Zealand.

outward journey

Surrounded by the glacier, the name of the town is the same. Only 30 minutes by car away is the Franz Josef Glacier, which is situated in a World Heritage area and bears the name of an Emperor of Austria. It is an easier stroll to the end walls of both majestic peaks, but if you are after a close meeting, a glacier tour or helicopter tour is strongly recommend.

Tasman Glacier's fast-growing Tasman Glacier Termal Sea is intriguing if you want to discover it by canoe. It is a 3 hour ride from Wanaka or 4 hour from Queenstown to the Fox and Franz Josef glacier. Alternatively, take the TranzAlpine rail from Christchurch to Greymouth, rent a Greymouth rental vehicle and then head west to the glacier.

It is not an everyday railway ride - it is an memorable voyage from the east coast to the west coast of the South Island, past the summits of the Southern Alps. Since the Tasman Glacier is on the opposite side of the Southern Alps to the Fox and Franz Josef Gletschern, the simplest way to get there is a 4.5-hour ride from Christchurch.

What New Zealand Glacier to explore

Breathtaking glacier in New Zealand. The majority of most of the world' s icebergs are near the main gorge in the Southern Alps on the South Island. South Island's west coast is home to New Zealand's two most celebrated icebergs - Fox and Franz Josef. From the expansive southern Alpine plains, to their end areas in the luxuriant rain forests of the west coast, these vestiges of the glacial period are carving a dramatic area.

No other place in the whole wide globe, at this degree of latitude, the glacier has penetrated so near the ocean, which makes Fox and Franz Josef inimitable. The first study of Franz Josef Glacier was conducted in 1865 by the Austrians Julius Haast, who called him after the Austro-Hungarian Kaiser. Located five kilometers from the glacier, the township itself is a busy little city that offers a wide range of opportunities to explore the glacier, as well as a wide range of accommodations and restuarant.

Franz Josef is a good starting point for exploring the glacier, the Westland National Park and the Okarito Lagoon in the south. It is an easier stroll to the end walls of the two icebergs. Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier are only 30 minutes away by car.

The Franz Josef Glacier is situated in a World Heritage area. It is a four hours car ride from Queenstown or three hours from Wanaka to get to these majestic peaks.