A SHORT WALK TO SEE A 7000 YEAR OLD GLACIER
08 MAY 2023
The Number One Attraction To Franz Josef
The top attraction to Franz Josef is absolutely the Franz Josef Glacier. Franz Josef Glacier is located on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island, within Westland Tai Poutini National Park. It's named after the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I. The glacier was first explored in 1865 by Julius von Haast, a German geologist who had settled in New Zealand and at the time, New Zealand was a British colony and von Haast named the glacier after the emperor of Austria-Hungary as a way of honoring him.
The track to the lookout is flat and easy and takes around 10-minutes. It is the most popular walking track in Franz Josef due to it being so accessible and short, so pick your time wisely as it can get buuuuusy, my friends. We went a couple of times when we were in Franz Josef in April and it was usually in the middle of the day, so there were a lot of humans about.
You guys know how much we love finding the weird and wonderful on every walk and hike, especially in the West Coast where it's so green and wild. Part of the track crosses a bridge where Lath and the girls played Pooh Sticks, while I went down to the river to try and see whose leaf came first! Have you ever played Pooh Sticks, or heard of it? Winnie the Pooh and friends used to drop a stick each into a river, from a bridge, and whoever's stick floated down past the bridge first, wins! Well, this was a complete flop as there were rocks under the bridge so they leaves kept getting stuck and we couldn't find any good sticks to use!
Further along the path there was a small opening to get down to a calmer part of the river and the girls wanted to stay and play, but we had to keep going as we had SO MUCH TO DO in Franz Josef before we left (we did end up staying for 4 days instead of just the one we planned!).
The track to the lookout is flat and easy and takes around 10-minutes. It is the most popular walking track in Franz Josef due to it being so accessible and short, so pick your time wisely as it can get buuuuusy, my friends. We went a couple of times when we were in Franz Josef in April and it was usually in the middle of the day, so there were a lot of humans about.
You guys know how much we love finding the weird and wonderful on every walk and hike, especially in the West Coast where it's so green and wild. Part of the track crosses a bridge where Lath and the girls played Pooh Sticks, while I went down to the river to try and see whose leaf came first! Have you ever played Pooh Sticks, or heard of it? Winnie the Pooh and friends used to drop a stick each into a river, from a bridge, and whoever's stick floated down past the bridge first, wins! Well, this was a complete flop as there were rocks under the bridge so they leaves kept getting stuck and we couldn't find any good sticks to use!
Further along the path there was a small opening to get down to a calmer part of the river and the girls wanted to stay and play, but we had to keep going as we had SO MUCH TO DO in Franz Josef before we left (we did end up staying for 4 days instead of just the one we planned!).
The Grandpa Of Glaciers
The glacier is approximately 12kms long and comes down from the Southern Alps. It's like the grandpa of glaciers and the age of Franz Josef Glacier is difficult to determine precisely, but scientists estimate that he's been around for at least 7,000 years which means he's seen it all - he remembers when mammoths roamed the earth, when the Pyramids were being built and when the first iPhone was released! This is based on the fact that the glacier has been present in the area since the last major glaciation period, which ended around 10,000 years ago.
Over the centuries, it has advanced and retreated in response to changes in temperature and precipitation, leaving behind evidence of its movement in the form of moraines, glacial valleys, and other geological features. But even with all that drama, Franz Josef has managed to keep his cool - literally. The cold and wet climate of the region has been like a giant spa treatment for the glacier, slowing down the rate of erosion and helping to preserve his fabulous figure (I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a secret skincare routine that involves slathering himself in ice cubes and glacier water). It is still melting away (it was touching the riverbed in 2001) as glaciers do and it once would have been right beside the lookout!
It is one of the most accessible glaciers in the world and attracts thousands of tourists every year but unfortunately in January 2023, the track that takes you to the base of the glacier was washed away in bad weather, so we were only able to go to the viewpoint. Hopefully by the time you're reading this and planning your trip, the path will have been fixed and you can get closer than we did!
There's a plastic cut out of a dude by the roped off area which tells you HAAAALT (well, he doesn't actually speak) and stops you going any further. We just gave him a high five instead of being sad about it!
Even though the glacier is still a long way away and you can't see any details up close, the view is amazing. It's not just the glacier that's beautiful, but the lush rainforest covering the mountains, the snowy peaked Southern Alps and the Waiho River below.
We did the track on a bluebird day and an overcast day (as below) and you can see it's actually still super beautiful on an overcast day but sunshine aaalways makes everything look amazing!
On the right-hand side at the lookout is a beautiful waterfall that seems to be suspended in midair. The West Coast gets more rain than anywhere else in New Zealand, so the waterfalls in Franz Josef are so powerful and there is an abundance of them. We caught the waterfall on a good day and got to see a rainbow in it - that was pretty special!
We took a helicopter up to see the glacier from above (well, the pilot did) and it was truly spectacular. We highly recommend this to get a closer look and to do an alpine landing so you can play in the snow! Read all about it here.
Over the centuries, it has advanced and retreated in response to changes in temperature and precipitation, leaving behind evidence of its movement in the form of moraines, glacial valleys, and other geological features. But even with all that drama, Franz Josef has managed to keep his cool - literally. The cold and wet climate of the region has been like a giant spa treatment for the glacier, slowing down the rate of erosion and helping to preserve his fabulous figure (I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a secret skincare routine that involves slathering himself in ice cubes and glacier water). It is still melting away (it was touching the riverbed in 2001) as glaciers do and it once would have been right beside the lookout!
It is one of the most accessible glaciers in the world and attracts thousands of tourists every year but unfortunately in January 2023, the track that takes you to the base of the glacier was washed away in bad weather, so we were only able to go to the viewpoint. Hopefully by the time you're reading this and planning your trip, the path will have been fixed and you can get closer than we did!
There's a plastic cut out of a dude by the roped off area which tells you HAAAALT (well, he doesn't actually speak) and stops you going any further. We just gave him a high five instead of being sad about it!
Even though the glacier is still a long way away and you can't see any details up close, the view is amazing. It's not just the glacier that's beautiful, but the lush rainforest covering the mountains, the snowy peaked Southern Alps and the Waiho River below.
We did the track on a bluebird day and an overcast day (as below) and you can see it's actually still super beautiful on an overcast day but sunshine aaalways makes everything look amazing!
On the right-hand side at the lookout is a beautiful waterfall that seems to be suspended in midair. The West Coast gets more rain than anywhere else in New Zealand, so the waterfalls in Franz Josef are so powerful and there is an abundance of them. We caught the waterfall on a good day and got to see a rainbow in it - that was pretty special!
We took a helicopter up to see the glacier from above (well, the pilot did) and it was truly spectacular. We highly recommend this to get a closer look and to do an alpine landing so you can play in the snow! Read all about it here.
Know Before You Go
- The track is a 20-minute return walk through lush rainforest
- Keep little ones close at the viewpoint as there is a big drop off where the ropes are
- The track gets super busy, so the earlier the better!
- You may be able to see a rainbow in the waterfall on a sunny day
- It's best to visit on a clear day, but you can still generally see the glacier on an overcast day
- This is a FREE attraction
- There are toilets at the carpark
- Take your long lense to get a better shot of the glacier
- Sandflies can be an issue on the West Coast so you may need to wear long pants or use bug spray if you're into that kinda thang
Mappy McMap Face
How To Get To The Franz Josef Glacier Walk in Franz Josef
The Franz Josef Glacier Walk is a 9-minute drive from Franz Josef town. From State Highway 6 in the main stretch of the town, head south over the Waiho Bailey Bridge (it's one-way) then turn left onto Franz Josef Glacier - yes this is the name of the road you don't aaactually drive onto a glacier (although how fun would that be...wheeeee). Keep going until you get to the carpark (it's a dead-end road).
Lots of tourists do walk from the town and there is a designated walking tracks for foot traffic so you don't have to walk on the road once you get onto Franz Josef Glacier (again, the road).
The trailhead for the Franz Josef Glacier Walk is right beside the carpark and is well signposted.
Lots of tourists do walk from the town and there is a designated walking tracks for foot traffic so you don't have to walk on the road once you get onto Franz Josef Glacier (again, the road).
The trailhead for the Franz Josef Glacier Walk is right beside the carpark and is well signposted.
Conclusion
Check out the other amazing tracks nearby that we HIGHLY recommend:
- Sentinel Rock Walk (a beautiful view across the Waiho River & the Franz Josef Glacier)
- Peters Pool (a quick walk to a lake with glass like reflections!)
- Lake Matheson Track (it's 30-minutes away in Fox Glacier but SO WORTH DOING)
And check out our time in Franz Josef and everything that we recommend doing with kids - What to do in Franz Josef with kids.
- Sentinel Rock Walk (a beautiful view across the Waiho River & the Franz Josef Glacier)
- Peters Pool (a quick walk to a lake with glass like reflections!)
- Lake Matheson Track (it's 30-minutes away in Fox Glacier but SO WORTH DOING)
And check out our time in Franz Josef and everything that we recommend doing with kids - What to do in Franz Josef with kids.
Gallery of the Franz Josef Glacier Walk
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
WHAT TO DO IN FRANZ JOSEF WITH KIDS
WEST COAST From exploring rainforests with blue mushrooms, to hiking around reflective lakes and seeing it all from above in a helicopter.
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FAIRY VILLAGE
CANTERBURY Step into a magical world full of fairy houses in the Bottle Lake Forest. Each one is uniquely designed by local kids. |
TWIN GLACIER & ALPINE LANDING FLIGHT
WEST COAST An incredible scenic flight over Fox Glacier & Franz Josef Glacier plus a snow landing where we got to play in the snow!
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