Travel Guide of Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand by Influencers and Travelers

Franz Josef Glacier / Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere is a 12 km long temperate maritime glacier in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.

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Learn More about Franz Josef Glacier

Located on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island, Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier are two natural wonders that demonstrate once again the variety of landscapes in the country. Never before in the world have you seen glaciers so close to the ocean - only about 15 kilometres from the Tasman Sea! Fox and Franz Josef also have the advantage of being very easy to reach - just a few dozen minutes walk. The first one that will be on your way up from Queenstown is Fox. Allow just over 4 hours to drive between them - consider a stop in Wanaka on the way, it's worth spending at least a full day there! Fox Glacier - 13 kilometres long - has been attracting tourists since the 1920s, and is named after Sir William Fox, Prime Minister of New Zealand when he visited the area in 1872. It is one of the few glaciers in the world that sits so low (some 300 metres above sea level), and runs through virgin forest. Although it is currently retreating, Fox Glacier had a period of almost 25 years during which it was growing, sometimes by as much as a metre a week. The start of several steps to the Fox Glacier is just before the Fox River Bridge, about 2km outside the village. Franz Josef, at 12 kilometres long, is slightly shorter than its neighbour. It owes its name to the German explorer Julius von Haast, who named it in 1865 after an Austrian emperor. The Maori name for the glacier is Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere, which means "the tears of Hine Hukatere". As is often the case, there is a beautiful legend behind this name; indeed, the young Hine Hukatere loved to climb mountains and one day managed to convince her beloved to accompany her. The latter, less experienced than his fiancée, was unfortunately swept away by an avalanche. Inconsolable, Hine Hukatere never stopped crying and her tears filled the valley between the mountains, forming the glacier that we know today. If you want to get a closer look at the ice, opt for a supervised outing: climbing, helicopter flight and landing, guided hike... The options are costly but not lacking. Helicopter flights over glaciers are one of the most popular activities on the West Coast. If you're short on time or the weather isn't with you, but you're still keen to see one of the glaciers up close, Fox is the one with the shortest walk and closest approach to the glacier's tip. However, if you are not necessarily interested in walking, but have a keen interest in seeing one of the glaciers, Fox is the one with the shortest walk and the closest approach to the end of the glace

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