ONE OF THE BEST VIEWS IN FRANZ JOSEF
05 NOVEMBER 2023
View of the Franz Josef Glacier
Sneaky Shortcuts And Stunning Views
We were lucky enough to spend a whole month in Franz Josef (yes, a whole month!!), which is one of the most beautiful and untouched towns in New Zealand, surrounded by lush rainforests, blue rivers, glaciers and snowy mountains. There aren't a huge amount of walking and hiking tracks in Franz Josef, so we decided to smash as many out as we could.
The first 800 metres of the track from the carpark, takes you along the river stop bank, but we were a little sneaky and actually parked closer to the bush, where we could see one spot for a car and a little worn trail going up the river stop bank, and this cut about 600 metres off our journey! Not that it's hard... the track is flatter than a freshly ironed shirt, but sometimes it's nice to not do the whole track if you don't have to... am I right?! We parked a few hundred metres away from the Canavans Knob carpark, heading away from the town, on the right. It's a steep scramble up the side of the stop bank, as it's mostly gravel but we all managed to get up! I have a knee injury, so I could get up but heading back down would have seen me sliding all way back down on my butt, most likely breaking some bones and ripping up my clothes - I'm all class y'all, that's how I roll! So on the way back, Lath took the shortcut and met me and Bella at the official carpark.
The views from the stop bank were amazing and you get one hell of a view across to the snowy Southern Alps and lush rainforest. It was a still day, so we got reflections of the view in a big pool of water by the river, which was such a bonus!! This would be a great place to take photos if you're short on time in Franz Josef, but still want to see as many views of the place as possible. You can't see the Franz Josef Glacier from the stop bank, only from the top of Canavans Knob.
The first 800 metres of the track from the carpark, takes you along the river stop bank, but we were a little sneaky and actually parked closer to the bush, where we could see one spot for a car and a little worn trail going up the river stop bank, and this cut about 600 metres off our journey! Not that it's hard... the track is flatter than a freshly ironed shirt, but sometimes it's nice to not do the whole track if you don't have to... am I right?! We parked a few hundred metres away from the Canavans Knob carpark, heading away from the town, on the right. It's a steep scramble up the side of the stop bank, as it's mostly gravel but we all managed to get up! I have a knee injury, so I could get up but heading back down would have seen me sliding all way back down on my butt, most likely breaking some bones and ripping up my clothes - I'm all class y'all, that's how I roll! So on the way back, Lath took the shortcut and met me and Bella at the official carpark.
The views from the stop bank were amazing and you get one hell of a view across to the snowy Southern Alps and lush rainforest. It was a still day, so we got reflections of the view in a big pool of water by the river, which was such a bonus!! This would be a great place to take photos if you're short on time in Franz Josef, but still want to see as many views of the place as possible. You can't see the Franz Josef Glacier from the stop bank, only from the top of Canavans Knob.
A Lush Green Sight
Franz Josef is a hot spot for scenic helicopter rides and for good reason! We did the twin glacier and alpine landing heli flight last time we were in Franz Josef, it was amazing!! So we heard and saw plenty of helicopters flying on by as we must have been on the flight path.
Just as expected, once we hit the rainforest, we were greeted by a lush green sight with vibrant moss growing all over anything that allowed it. We also found lots of fungi...we have found LOADS on the West Coast, with our favourite being the bright blue mushrooms we saw at Lake Matheson, 30-mins south in Fox Glacier. The girls found lots of schist full of gold and silver flakes (not real!) and quartz along the track but my favourite thing the girls found was the spider webs with the raindrops sitting in them... they were so beautiful!
The track itself was fairly easy, it is a 40-minute return track from where the rainforest starts, but I do think that it took us longer. It's a steady uphill climb to the final viewpoint at the top and the forest is stunning the whole way. If you are thinking of doing this track with kids then I'd say go for it! There are so many weird and wonderful things for them to see and find, and as long as they are ok with hilly climbs then you will all love the reward at the top!
Just as expected, once we hit the rainforest, we were greeted by a lush green sight with vibrant moss growing all over anything that allowed it. We also found lots of fungi...we have found LOADS on the West Coast, with our favourite being the bright blue mushrooms we saw at Lake Matheson, 30-mins south in Fox Glacier. The girls found lots of schist full of gold and silver flakes (not real!) and quartz along the track but my favourite thing the girls found was the spider webs with the raindrops sitting in them... they were so beautiful!
The track itself was fairly easy, it is a 40-minute return track from where the rainforest starts, but I do think that it took us longer. It's a steady uphill climb to the final viewpoint at the top and the forest is stunning the whole way. If you are thinking of doing this track with kids then I'd say go for it! There are so many weird and wonderful things for them to see and find, and as long as they are ok with hilly climbs then you will all love the reward at the top!
What Is A Knob?
There are 3 viewpoints on the Canavan Knob track, with the first one being about halfway up. There is a clearing to the left where you get the first glimpse of the Franz Josef Glacier! It's still reeeeally far away, so don't go thinking you'll be getting up close and personal to it.
The second viewpoint is a little bit fancy as it has a bench seat (oooh - sticks little finger out whilst sipping tea). This view shows uninterrupted views all the way to the ocean! You get to see all the farmland below, as well as the Waiho River.
You may be wondering why a knob is called a knob... and don't worry, we did too! A knob refers to a small, rounded hill in the landscape and are often characterized by their smooth or gently sloping shape. They also often provide scenic viewpoints, just like Canavans Knob. The knob is made of super hard stone, granite, and therefore didn't get carved down like the rest of the stone in the area (which is mainly schist), when the glacier carved out the valley some 9000 years ago!
The second viewpoint is a little bit fancy as it has a bench seat (oooh - sticks little finger out whilst sipping tea). This view shows uninterrupted views all the way to the ocean! You get to see all the farmland below, as well as the Waiho River.
You may be wondering why a knob is called a knob... and don't worry, we did too! A knob refers to a small, rounded hill in the landscape and are often characterized by their smooth or gently sloping shape. They also often provide scenic viewpoints, just like Canavans Knob. The knob is made of super hard stone, granite, and therefore didn't get carved down like the rest of the stone in the area (which is mainly schist), when the glacier carved out the valley some 9000 years ago!
Totally Underrated!
Check out the view from the top! We honestly weren't expecting it to be this beautiful or high up! The trees framed the view perfectly and we could see right across to the Franz Josef Glacier, even the girls were impressed ;)
On a cloudy day, this might not have been the best hike to do if we were wanting to see the glacier and alps, so we're really glad the clouds stayed away. I was glad that I had my camera and long lense with me, so I could get a closer shot of the glacier... I hate how phone cameras make everything look insanely far away!
The viewpoint had a chair for us to sit on and enjoy the view for a while. We didn't pass anyone else on the hike, so we had it all to ourselves. It's definitely one of the less popular walks in Franz Josef and honestly, it's so underrated! We really enjoyed this hike and view, and we could see down to the stop bank we walked along, as well as the Waiho River which was looking very grey after all the torrential rain we had recently!
On a cloudy day, this might not have been the best hike to do if we were wanting to see the glacier and alps, so we're really glad the clouds stayed away. I was glad that I had my camera and long lense with me, so I could get a closer shot of the glacier... I hate how phone cameras make everything look insanely far away!
The viewpoint had a chair for us to sit on and enjoy the view for a while. We didn't pass anyone else on the hike, so we had it all to ourselves. It's definitely one of the less popular walks in Franz Josef and honestly, it's so underrated! We really enjoyed this hike and view, and we could see down to the stop bank we walked along, as well as the Waiho River which was looking very grey after all the torrential rain we had recently!
Know Before You Go
- The first 800 metres of track is along the river stop bank, then it climbs up through the rainforest
- The track takes around 1 hour to complete and is 3.2kms return from the carpark (or 1.5 hours and 6.3km return from the town)
- You can get views across the Waiho River and out to the Franz Josef Glacier from the top
- This track isn't suitable for stroller
- No dogs are allowed on this track
- This track offers views of the Franz Josef Glacier in the distance
- There are no toilets here, you'll need to use the ones in town
How To Get To The Canvans Knob Track In Franz Josef
Travel 1.2 kilometers to the south of Franz Josef, where you'll find a sign-posted car park on the right, for the beginning of the Canavans Knob Walk.
Conclusion
We loved this track and were surprised at how good the view was from the top! It's an easy enough track, slowly climbing uphill the whole way through the lush rainforest. It's the perfect hike for little ones to explore along the way and find all sorts of weird and wonderful things.
Gallery of the Canavans Knob Track
Check out the rest of the awesomeness that didn't make it to the main blog but deserves to be shown.
More to do in New Zealand
FRANZ JOSEF GLACIER WALK
WEST COAST Take a short walk to catch a glimpse of one of New Zealand's most popular glaciers. It's an easy, flat walk suitable for most abilities. |
NZ ALPINE LAVENDER FARM
CANTERBURY Lavender ice cream, cute bikes and rows of lavender near the beautiful Mt Cook and Lake Pukaki - what a dream! |
WHANGAREI QUARRY GARDENS
NORTHLAND A subtropical garden set in an old quarry which has been planted by volunteers. Escape to the tropics with this magical place.
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