PREPARE FOR THY BREATH TO BE TAKENETH AWAY
08 MAY 2023
Updated 5 October 2023
Updated 5 October 2023
Peter? Hello? Are You There?
Franz Josef is a small town in the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, which is surrounded by lush rainforests, the rugged Southern Alps and it's most famous for its glacier, my main man - the Franz Josef Glacier.
Franz Josef is incredibly beautiful so it's no wonder that Peter's Pool is one of the best spots you can visit in the area! The pool is actually a kettle lake which is glacier fed by the Franz Josef Glacier which is around 5kms away from it.
I read that the tannins that cause lakes to go brown, actually are the best kind of water for reflections! This would explain why we didn't really see reflections in Lake Tekapo (basically the colour of blue gatorade!) but we did at Lake Matheson, which is also brown (and 30-minutes away from Franz Josef, in the town of Fox Glacier).
We had always heard how amazing the West Coast was after we had finished exploring Wanaka, we were heading up to Blenheim and we decided to take the scenic route up north. We had booked one night but ended up staying in Franz Josef for 4 days because we were so blown away by it!
We loved the walk to the lake (which usually took us 5 - 10 minutes) and because it was April and veeeeery cold (hello Autumn), we ended up running most of the way to warm up! The track is typical of the West Coast, with the lush rainforest welcoming us with beautiful things to discover along the way.
Every time we visit Franz Josef, we head to Peter's Pool. It pretty much looks the same all year round and never disappoints!
Franz Josef is incredibly beautiful so it's no wonder that Peter's Pool is one of the best spots you can visit in the area! The pool is actually a kettle lake which is glacier fed by the Franz Josef Glacier which is around 5kms away from it.
I read that the tannins that cause lakes to go brown, actually are the best kind of water for reflections! This would explain why we didn't really see reflections in Lake Tekapo (basically the colour of blue gatorade!) but we did at Lake Matheson, which is also brown (and 30-minutes away from Franz Josef, in the town of Fox Glacier).
We had always heard how amazing the West Coast was after we had finished exploring Wanaka, we were heading up to Blenheim and we decided to take the scenic route up north. We had booked one night but ended up staying in Franz Josef for 4 days because we were so blown away by it!
We loved the walk to the lake (which usually took us 5 - 10 minutes) and because it was April and veeeeery cold (hello Autumn), we ended up running most of the way to warm up! The track is typical of the West Coast, with the lush rainforest welcoming us with beautiful things to discover along the way.
Every time we visit Franz Josef, we head to Peter's Pool. It pretty much looks the same all year round and never disappoints!
Never Judge A Book By Its Cover
Peter's Pool in Franz Josef is small but packs a punch. The reflections on a still day are glass like and if you take a photo and flip it upside down, it's actually really hard to tell which is the lake and which is the actual mountains!
I had a video on my phone which turned upside down somehow and I was really confused - I had taken it starting at my feet and slowly pulling the camera up towards the mountains and because the video had flipped upside down, I genuinely thought the final cut at the top of the video was the mountains and sky, but it was actually the lake!
We loved visiting very morning at sunrise, but we never saw Peter... hmmm maybe he's there later in the day? We were really happy that we got up early as it was so nice and quiet and generally only 1 or 2 people on the track, who were heading past the lake to go on a hike (it branches off to a couple of other tracks). Most people who did pass by did a woooow and took a couple of photos, or walked past, did a double take and back tracked to do the woooow and take a couple of photos.
As the sun rose, the whole area changed which was why we think it's the perfect time to visit it. One of the mornings there was steam rising from the lake and when the sun finally peeked over the mountains from the east. It also means that with less people around, you can spend more time taking photos and not having someone block your view.
We were amazed to see SO MANY round spiderwebs shining in the sun, surrounded by the steam. It was pretty magical! Of course, it was really difficult to get the settings right on my DSLR to get incredible photos of it... it really is time to do a photography course!
We could have stayed at the lake forever and it was hard to leave it every morning. We're looking forward to heading back this winter to see it all with snow around it! The kids did get cold from sitting around so next time we plan for them to wear thermals and take a waterproof blanket to sit on while they wait around. They're usually pretty awesome when we're out in nature but the cold mixed with an early morning and waiting to have breakfast wasn't helping.
I had a video on my phone which turned upside down somehow and I was really confused - I had taken it starting at my feet and slowly pulling the camera up towards the mountains and because the video had flipped upside down, I genuinely thought the final cut at the top of the video was the mountains and sky, but it was actually the lake!
We loved visiting very morning at sunrise, but we never saw Peter... hmmm maybe he's there later in the day? We were really happy that we got up early as it was so nice and quiet and generally only 1 or 2 people on the track, who were heading past the lake to go on a hike (it branches off to a couple of other tracks). Most people who did pass by did a woooow and took a couple of photos, or walked past, did a double take and back tracked to do the woooow and take a couple of photos.
As the sun rose, the whole area changed which was why we think it's the perfect time to visit it. One of the mornings there was steam rising from the lake and when the sun finally peeked over the mountains from the east. It also means that with less people around, you can spend more time taking photos and not having someone block your view.
We were amazed to see SO MANY round spiderwebs shining in the sun, surrounded by the steam. It was pretty magical! Of course, it was really difficult to get the settings right on my DSLR to get incredible photos of it... it really is time to do a photography course!
We could have stayed at the lake forever and it was hard to leave it every morning. We're looking forward to heading back this winter to see it all with snow around it! The kids did get cold from sitting around so next time we plan for them to wear thermals and take a waterproof blanket to sit on while they wait around. They're usually pretty awesome when we're out in nature but the cold mixed with an early morning and waiting to have breakfast wasn't helping.
A dragonfly waiting for the sun to warm it up
Visiting In Spring
We were so lucky to have the opportunity to stay in Franz Josef for a month over spring 2023 and we visited Peters Pool a couple of times. The girls were very keen to practice their photography skills, so out the camera came and they were clicking away and feeling like super big girls!
I was keen to head to Peters Pool one night when the stars were out and the moon was away, as I reckon this would make an incredible photo to see the stars in the lake! But we just never got around to doing it... next time for sure!
I was keen to head to Peters Pool one night when the stars were out and the moon was away, as I reckon this would make an incredible photo to see the stars in the lake! But we just never got around to doing it... next time for sure!
Know Before You Go
- Peters Pool is part of the Douglas Track
- Toilets are at the carpark
- The track is takes 20 - 30 minutes return and is 1.1km
- The track is flat and easy to walk on
- There a bench seat at the lake
- The best time to visit (we reckon) is at sunrise when it's quieter and there's no harsh light to ruin your photography
- In summer, there can be a lot of mozzies, so take insect repellent or wear long pants!
- The West Coast gets the most amount of rainfall than any other region in New Zealand, so expect some wet days when you're there!
Mappy McMap Face
How To Get To Peters Pool In Franz Josef
Peters Pool 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 Peters Pool 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 Peters Pool is right beside the carpark and is well signposted.
Conclusion
Peters Pool is one of our favourite spots on the West Coast (and in New Zealand!). We love how clear the reflections of the mountains and glacier are in the pool and how much quieter the track is than the other popular tracks in Franz Josef. It's hard to get up and leave Peters Pool behind and you can have a lot of fun with making family photos here.
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)
- Franz Josef Glacier Walk (there's even a waterfall which turned into a rainbow once for us!)
- 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.
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)
- Franz Josef Glacier Walk (there's even a waterfall which turned into a rainbow once for us!)
- 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 Peters Pool
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
TWIN GLACIER & ALPINE LANDING FLIGHT
WEST COAST On a clear and still day, Peters Pool offers the most incredible reflections of the mountains and it's even better when there's snow!
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ROYS PEAK
OTAGO An iconic hike in Wanaka that's 16km to the summit and back with non-stop views and breathtaking views from the summit. |
INTERNATIONAL ANTARCTIC CENTRE
CANTERBURY Experience a MINUS 18-degree Celsius windstorm in the snow, play with huskies and see rescued little penguins under water!
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