Franz Josef Glacier

location: Franz Josef Glacier (Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere in Maori) in the Southern Alps
distance: approx 4 miles

Franz Josef glacier

description: prior to this trip, Andy had never seen a glacier up close and since both the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers are readily accessible from the west coast highway on the South Island, we knew we'd have an opportunity to get a good look at them. when my parents visited New Zealand more than a decade a go, they took a helicopter to the top of the glacier for the opportunity to walk on the surface. based on our travel plans, we opted to hike to the base of the glacier from the car park.

ever keen to avoid the worst of crowds, we inquired with our hostel host as to the best time to hit the trail and, based on her recommendation, arrived about 6:30 to find ourselves the only car in the carpark. we didn't see anyone else until after we were on our return journey - solitary enjoyment of the glacier: wonderful!


the track cuts pretty straight through the glacial valley, following the course of the Waiho River at a safe distance. unlike the Fox Glacier, you can see most of Franz Josef from quite a distance; it offered great views but also illustrated how much the glacier has retreated over time. when tourists started coming to see it in the late 19th century, the glacier filled much of the valley that we spent more than 30 minutes crossing in the early 21st century. in the 20th century, even with periodic advances made due to favorable weather conditions, both Franz Josef and Fox glaciers have retreated some 2.5 kilometers.

view down the valley towards the Tasman Sea

the final few hundred meters climb steeply to afford views of the glacial face, past an ice cave that I'm sure guided and foolhardy unsupervised tourists alike explore on occasion. the end of the track was about 200 meters from the end of the glacier itself, with access restricted beyond due to changing conditions and potential instability. from up close, my overwhelming impression was that Franz Josef makes a more spectacular sight at a distance. the size of the nearby mountains somewhat dwarf the glacier, some 12 kilometers long from the neve to terminal face that we approached. moreover, the face was largely covered with rock debris, giving it a gritty appearance and making it somewhat hard to distinguish from the surrounding mountainsides.

despite the underwhelming aspects, it was very special and awe-inspiring to observe the glacier without other people milling about and without the sound of helicopters spiriting people up to the top of the glacier.