Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Te Wahipounamu South West New Zealand (1990). Two Of The Most Accessible Glaciers On Earth Relative To Sea Level, Descending From The Southern Alps Into Temperate Rainforest On The West Coast, Reached By Helicopter Landing Or Guided Ice Walk Since Retreat Has Closed The Valley Floor Walking Tracks To The Glacier Faces Themselves · Franz Josef, West Coast

Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers are two of the most accessible glaciers on earth relative to sea level, flowing from the Southern Alps into temperate rainforest on New Zealand's West Coast. Both sit within Te Wahipounamu, the UNESCO World Heritage Area inscribed in 1990 that also covers Milford Sound, though these glaciers occupy a separate valley system on the Alps' western side. Each glacier has retreated substantially over the past two decades, and in recent years that retreat has closed the valley-floor tracks that once led visitors close to the terminal ice faces. A helicopter landing on the upper glacier, or a guided heli-hike combining a flight with time on the ice, is now the realistic way to actually stand on either glacier - an ongoing shift, not a temporary closure. Below, the twin townships of Franz Josef and Fox sit among some of NewZealand's wettest rainforest, with short valley walks, glowworms after dark, and the Southern Alps rising abruptly behind the bush. Weather off the Tasman Sea governs almost everything here, including whether a helicopter can fly on a given day.

The West Coast of the South Island, about 4.5 hours from Christchurch, Franz Josef, West Coast, New Zealand

Franz Josef and Fox townships have no gates and their valley walks are open during daylight hours year round, roughly dawn to dusk. The Department of Conservation visitor centres in each township keep standard hours, approximately 8:30am to 4:30pm, shorter in winter. Helicopter flights and guided heli-hikes depart on a daily schedule through the morning and early afternoon, weather permitting, and are simply cancelled rather than delayed when low cloud or high wind make flying unsafe - some mornings nothing flies at all. Glowworm walks run after dark and are not weather-dependent in the same way.

Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers on Spottos · Explore more places on Spottos