![]() ![]() Don’t walk (see our must-know tips below) To Fox Glacier it’s a 30 minutes drive or you may book a heli tour which covers Franz Josef and Fox. You can get to the Franz Josef Glacier car park from almost all nearby hotels within a 10-12 minutes drive. Helicopters are the only safe way to get people onto the glacier for guided walks, so you will hear them pass overhead. That way, you can do both Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier with no stress. Glacier visits have had to change because the landscape is on the move every day as the glacier retreats. Beneath the serene scene, the glacier is. Flooding: Downpours can create flooding within minutes. Follow the marked track, obey all signs and never cross barriers.ĭon't make a fatal mistake! People have died or been seriously injured after ignoring signs and going over the barriers – you are taking a serious personal risk to get closer to the glacier. If you want to get closer to, or onto, the glacier there are experienced glacier guiding companies based in Franz Josef and Fox Glacier townships.ĭaily glacier access update on Glacier Country website. The hike finishes with a short climb to the viewing area, where you can see the icy wonderlands about 750m away.Rock fall: Heavy rain can destabilise steep valley walls, causing rock fall.River surges: Glacial rivers can be dammed by ice falls and the dam could burst creating a huge surge of water and ice which floods the valley.The main hazards in the glacier valley are: Carry drinking water, insect repellent and sun protection at all times.įranz Josef Glacier weather forecast – NIWA website Hazards.Always take warm and waterproof clothing as the weather can change rapidly.The track and access road can be closed due to flooding, rockfall or landslides – check the latest track conditions and weather forecasts at the Westland/Tai Poutini National Park Visitor Centre before starting your trip. ![]() It’s not knee deep of water and not a hard track to navigate or do. Don’t let the other reviews scare you off. Some rocky parts and a bit of an incline but nothing most tracks don’t have. Franz Josef Glacier (K Roimata o Hine Hukatere) was explored by local iwi and in 1865 by geologist Julius von Haast, who named it after the Austrian emperor.The glacier is five kilometres from the town of the same name, and a 1.5 hour walk will take you to within 750m of its terminal face. It was a very easy track to follow with a gravel track the whole way. Some people have said it’s a hard track, that it is narrow and hard to follow. You go past the river on your left on the way up to tunnel. If you turn you light source off inside you’ll see glow worms. Most hike boots are wet proof enough to do the job. Franz Josef Glacier walk difficulty and incline: With only very, very little incline the Franz Josef Glacier walk is an easy walk and can be considered as the easiest Franz Josef walk. Don’t need gum boots unless you don’t like a little water on shoes. Franz Josef Glacier walk distance and duration: The 1.7 km return track can be completed in 30 minutes depending on how long you spend at the viewing area. Mostly around a couple of centimetres deep. We went after a full 24 hours of down pour of rain and the deepest part was maybe ankle deep inside tunnel. The tunnel is about a five minute walk in pitch black but a phone torch is enough to give you heaps of light. ![]() The aquaduct on far end on tunnel is damaged in a part so the end of the tunnel is the end of the walk. ![]()
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