Fox & Franz Josef Glaciers

The West Coast of New Zealand is renowned for three things: the phenomenal amount of rainfall Westland receives every year, the region’s jaw-dropping beauty, and its fascinating and accessible glaciers. Two glaciers, in particular, Franz Josef and Fox, are unique in that each glacier’s terminal face is quite low in altitude in comparison to other glaciers at similar latitudes around the world. While glaciers around the world are retreating, the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers still flow almost to sea level. The temperate climate at this low altitude means these glaciers are among the most convenient to visit in the world. An easy walk is available to the foot of Franz Josef Glacier along the river valley with steep sides bearing gigantic horizontal scars from when the glaciers have retreated and advanced over millennia. You can also take in the view of magnificent Fox Glacier from Cook Flat Road (on your way to Lake Matheson). The sheer enormity of both glaciers is very humbling. Both the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers are natural wonders and each one is worth some taking some time to explore. However you choose to explore the glaciers, don’t leave the West Coast without taking at least one unforgettable memory with you.
Glaciers constantly advance and retreat, held in delicate balance by the accumulation of snow gained in the upper glacier and ice melting in the lower part. An increase in snowfall at the snow accumulation area, at the top of the glacier, will result in the glacier advancing. Correspondingly, a faster melt will result in the glacier retreating. Overall Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers were advancing from 1985 until 2009, and are currently in a retreating phase.
The townships of Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier are quite different, though both have only about 300-400 residents, swelling to support tourism in the region. Franz Josef is the much more developed of the two, with more accommodation options, and a wider range of restaurants. This isn’t surprising, since Franz Josef gets up to 2700 visitors a day during peak season, compared to around 1000 at Fox. Though people are told not to, some go beyond the barriers and climb without guides onto the Fox glacier, whose rapid advance creates dangers of sudden ice and rock falls. Franz Josef is also home to the West Coast Wildlife Centre, which is dedicated to hatching and rearing the world’s rarest two species of kiwi. Since kiwis are extremely difficult to find in the wild, this is a major draw for visitors wanting to see New Zealand’s national bird. Fox Glacier’s secondary attraction is Lake Matheson, known for its astonishingly clear reflections of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman when conditions are right.
Franz Josef Glacier is located just a few km from the heart of Franz Josef Township which offers a range of restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. There is an excellent array of accommodation options on offer ranging from campgrounds and backpacker hostels through to luxury hotels. There is also a wide range of activities on offer within the township including kayak tours, scenic flights and of course relaxing Franz Josef Glacier Hot Pools. Most Glaciers move at around 50cm per day however Franz Josef Glacier was once recorded to move 4 meters in a day. Franz Josef Glacier is currently retreating. In the past 8 years the Glacier has retreated around 800 meters making it just less than 11km long. The Glacier is also 3000 meters in height.
The Maori name for the Glacier is Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere which means The tears of Hine Hukatere. The local legend is the Hine Hukatere loved climbing in the mountains and convinced her lover Wawe to join her. Wawe didn’t have as much experience climbing mountains as Hine Hukatere and one day an avalanche swept Wawe to his death. Hine Hukatere was left broken-hearted and her tears flowed down the mountain then froze to form the Glacier.
Fox Glacier is a 13-kilometre-long (8.1 mi) temperate maritime glacier located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island and descends from the same height as Franz Josef Glacier, but is not as steep. It was named in 1872 after a visit by then Prime Minister of New Zealand Sir William Fox. Following the passage of the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998, the name of the glacier was officially altered to Fox Glacier or Te Moeka o Tuawe. The outflow of the glacier forms the Fox River. During the last ice age, its ice reached beyond the present coastline, and the glacier left behind many moraines during its retreat. Lake Matheson formed as a kettle lake within one of these.
Over its 13 kilometer length, the Fox glacier plummets 2,600 meters from high in the Southern Alps. It is fed by four alpine glaciers that receive around 30 meters of snowfall each year. The snow is compacted at the top of the glacier into blue ice hundreds of meters deep.
This ice slides down hill to the more level river valley below, where it is still 300 meters thick. The movement is lubricated by ice that melts under pressure between the glacier and the steep valley floor. This effect, combined with the high snowfall feeding the top of the glacier, means the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers flow around ten times faster than most valley glaciers.
There are two different companies that offer guiding at either glacier. Fox Glacier Guides offer valley walk trips, heli-hiking trips and heli-ice climbing trips at Fox Glacier. Franz Josef Glacier Guides offer the same experiences on Franz Josef Glacier. Neither glacier is accessible from the valley floor. A dramatic retreat that occurred in the last few years at both glaciers has resulted in ice loss and instability around the terminus. All glacier experiences now involve helicopter access.
The most dramatic formations occur on a glacier when it moves downwards on a steep gradient. Fox Glacier has a gradual incline whereas Franz Josef is steeper. The surface of Franz Josef Glacier is full of crevasses and ice caves, where you have a much better chance of seeing the famous blue ice.