Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers

Relics of the last Ice Age

It's odd to think that a man who has never set foot on these ice formations has a glacier named after him. But, that's the case with the Franz Josef Glacier.

Named after emperor Franz Josef I of Austria by the German explorer, Julius von Haast in 1865, this glacier, located in the Westland National Park on the South Island's West Coast, certainly gets a fair few visitors these days - around 129,000 per year at last count.

Together with the Fox Glacier, 20 kilometres to the south, the Franz Josef Glacier cuts through dramatic glacial valleys to flow into temperate rainforest. While many glaciers worldwide have been retreating, these glaciers still flow almost to sea level, making them unique relics of the last Ice Age.

It is not until you place your footprints onto a high alpine snow field, journey deep into the towering rainforests, explore the blue ice caves of the glaciers, tackle a trout on a beautiful lake or jet boat up a glacial river, that you will truly experience Glacier Country.

Guided glacier walks and heli-hikes will take you directly to these locations – you choose whether you want to explore for a few hours or a day.