Franz Josef Glacier hike and walk guide

There are about 30 different walking tracks in Glacier Country, from short scenic tracks to challenging multi-day hikes.⁶ Around the glacier itself, the useful ones fall into groups: short walks beside the car park, forest walks with a pool or a lake, and long climbs to high lookouts. Pick the group first, then the walk. A Franz Josef glacier hike in the strict sense of the words means the long tracks, but the gentler ones are the right start for many days.

Whichever Franz Josef glacier walk you pick, think about daylight and weather before distance. The national park lies in the path of prevailing westerlies, which can bring heavy rain at any time of the year.⁷ Weather conditions change dramatically in a short space of time, so a walk that looks easy on the map can feel serious in a squall.⁸ Carry warm and waterproof clothing at all times, whichever walk you pick.⁹

Check conditions with the people who maintain the tracks. The regional tourism group points walkers to the Department of Conservation visitor centre for weather conditions, hiking guides and personal locator beacons.¹⁰ The centre is at 69 Cron Street and opens daily from 8:30am to 5:00pm, except Christmas Day.^11,12 A stop there before a long walk is cheap insurance, and the advice is free. Ask about the creeks, the cloud level and any closed sections before you commit to a plan.

The Douglas Walk is 3.9 km return, takes 1 hr and is graded easy to intermediate.¹⁷ It crosses glacial landforms that formed between 1600 AD and 1750 AD, then passes through a series of vegetation types that mark different stages of regrowth behind the retreating ice.¹⁸ It also visits Peters Pool and the historic Douglas Bridge, so it combines both sights in a single loop.³⁰

Lake Wombat Walk is 3.8 km return and takes 1 hr 30 min.³ It climbs steadily through rimu forest to a peaceful lake, and the lake is a kettle lake, formed about 9000 years ago by a huge piece of ice left amidst glacial debris.³¹ The track starts 2 km along the access road, so you can pair it with the Alex Knob start without driving back to the car park.²⁵

Both of these are good choices when the cloud is low. The forest does not need a clear sky, and the birdsong carries on regardless. Wear shoes with grip, since roots and wet rock make for slippery footing, and keep to the track. A flask of tea at the lake turns a plain walk into a real outing, and the forest is quiet enough to reward a patient listener with birdsong and the drip of rain.

Terrace Walk is 1.8 km return, takes 30 min and is an easy short walk along bush-clad terraces at the south end of the village.¹³ Take a torch and explore it at night to see glow-worms, especially under large fallen trees.¹⁹ There is no access beyond the seats at the end because of a slip, so you turn back where the track stops.⁴¹ It is the easiest evening outing in the village.

Tatare Tunnels Walk is 3.6 km return and takes 1 hr 20 min, graded easy to intermediate, and it starts at the end of Cowan Street.^23,26 Pioneer miners drove a 500 metre tunnel system to pipe water to the Waiho terrace.⁴² You will need a torch and raincoat to explore the tunnels, and the track stops just inside the far end of the first tunnel.^29,43

The Callery Gorge Walk is 5.2 km return, takes 1 hr 20 min and shares its first five minutes with the Tatare Tunnels Walk.^24,44 It follows an old gold mining water race, and the rusty relics are among the last visual reminders of the gold mining era.⁴⁵ Te Ara a Waiau, for walkers and cyclists, runs from the township to the glacier car park, 8.7 km return.⁴⁶ Together these make a full day of walking without ever driving.

A guided walk takes the planning out of a day. The Glacier Lookout Guided Walk is listed from $65, lasts 3 hours and is limited to 10 participants, with a live guide in English. Guided eco hikes are also available up both glacier valleys, getting close to the glacier without walking on the ice.⁵⁶ This suits first-timers and families who would rather have a local read the river and the weather for them.

If you want to walk on the ice, no track will take you there. A guided heli-hike is the route. The Viator listing runs 4 hours for groups of up to 11 and is listed from $530. The other glacier hike with a helicopter transfer is listed from $528, with up to 2.5 hours of guided hiking. Both depend on weather, so leave a spare day in your plan if you can.

For a change from walking, this site's quad tour is a 2-hour ride through the national park's rainforest, rivers and glacial pathways, listed from $104 per person. It suits a day when your legs are tired, the cloud is down or the rain makes a long walk unattractive, and a hot soak in the village afterwards makes a fine end to the day.