Fox Glacier

Fox Glacier village is in "Glacier Country" on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Tucked discreetly into the rainforest-clad foothills of the Southern Alps, it has a stunning outlook across surrounding farms and offers breathtaking views of New Zealand’s two highest peaks, Aoraki/Mt Cook and Mt Tasman. The tiny township was founded from a gold strike which soon petered out, and it now mostly serves as a base for visitors to its large icy namesake. There's a quiet, intimate village atmosphere compared to the other glacier town, Franz Josef.

Landscape
At 13 km long, Fox Glacier / Te Moeka o Tuawe is the longest New Zealand glacier, falling 2,600 metres (8,000 ft) from its start just below Aoraki/Mt Cook and Mt Tasman to where it terminates in lush temperate rain forest just 250 m above sea level. The rapid descent and accessibility make the West Coast's glaciers unique.

A special combination of climate and shape means that Fox Glacier moves approximately 10 times quicker than other valley glaciers around the world, making its terminal face and ice features look quite different from one year to the next. At Fox Glacier this is due to the funnel-like shape of the glacial valley and the huge nevé (the snow accumulation area, at the top of the glacier). Fox Glacier’s nevé is 36 km², bigger than the whole of the city of Christchurch!

Climate
The weather in the area is very variable and prone to change, so bring layers. Mornings are generally clear, though clouds start to gather in the afternoon, which may lead to cancelled tours, slippery walks and poor photography conditions. Winter is drier and there might be fresh snow on the glacier, but the roads will be icier.

Get in
Drive on State Highway 6. The drive from Franz Josef is about 30 minutes. Although the distance between the two is not a lot as the crow flies, the road is one of the windiest you will ever drive on as it crosses an entire mountain range.


 * From the south, travel from Queenstown approximately 4½ hours by car, Wanaka approximately 3 hr by car, Haast approximately 1½ hr by car.
 * From the north, travel from Christchurch approximately 5½ hr by car, Greymouth approximately 2½ hr by car and Hokitika approximately 2 hr by car.

The following locations offer bus bookings through various bus companies.

Get around
The village is small and all accommodation is within walking distance of the centre. Fox Tours and Shuttles, 0800 369 287, will shuttle people to outlying destinations like Fox Glacier, Lake Matheson and Gillepsies Beach for $12 and up.

See
Sunrise at Lake Matheson, sunset at Gillespies Beach and glacier viewing in between makes for a pretty great day.

Glacier viewing
A walk to see Fox Glacier is a rather ethereal experience, as it passes through a valley carved by the moving ice. There are several signposts that signal when and where the terminal face of the glacier used to be.



Scenic flights
Several helicopter services operate out of Fox Glacier township and offer breathtaking flights over the glacier and the Southern Alps, weather permitting. It's a marvellous aerial view that demonstrates the vastness of the slow moving frozen river, with an option to make a snow landing on the nevé. An early morning flight could get you to the top of Fox Glacier, just as the sun rises over Aoraki/Mt Cook.



Tramping
Walks on pebble-covered beaches, around lakes and through a glacial valley – and that's without heading into Fox Glacier's backcountry and less-trodden trails. Check with the local DOC office on SH6 for maps and information.

Buy
The general store is on State Highway 6 between Cafe Neve and the Glacier Country Hotel, and there is a fuel station on the same main road.

Eat and drink
There's a fairly small selection of restaurants in Fox Glacier, with a few lodgings like the Fox Glacier Inn, Glacier Country Hotel and High Peaks Hotel offering in-house food. If your budget is really tight, it might be worth picking up general supplies before coming into the glacier towns.



Further away from the village:

Connect
Some of the motels and hotels will offer free Wi-fi, though some will also require payment.

Go next

 * North on State Highway 6 to nearby Franz Josef, which is the larger of the two West Coast glacier townships, with more accommodation, restaurants and bars as well as the brand new Glacier Hot Pools
 * South to Haast