The main reason people visit Franz Josef is to see the glacier, which is how we began the eighth day of the Adventures by Disney New Zealand itinerary. Boarding our coach, we picked up a local guide named Rosa and proceeded to Westland Tai Poutini National Park. From the parking lot, the glacier is a short walk away.
One of the many benefits of having Rosa on the trek was that she is authorized to take groups down hidden paths of the rainforest leading to the glacier. Along the way, she pointed some interesting plants, including edible types used by the Maori, one of which we used as an ingredient during our cooking experience in Auckland (from Day 2).
Eventually, we made our way to a lookout point, which is as close as you can get to the Franz Josef Glacier by foot. This landing marked the edge of the glacier in 1908.
While it was a pretty cloudy day, we actually got a pretty good view of the glacier, including a waterfall leaking from it.
The entire canyon is full of serene waterfalls of melting glacier water.
Without a guide like Rosa, it’s not possible to walk on the floor of the canyon. But with her expertise on the weather and glacier’s melting habits, we got to go down to the flat basin created by the glacier for a closer look at the rocks it has left behind.
This also gave us the chance to get close enough to touch fresh glacier water.
And Rosa had the honor of distributing our pin of the day, featuring Belle from Beauty and the Beast and the title of the day – “Franz and Family.”
On the bus ride back to our resort, we were given a driving tour of the smal town of Franz Josef, as we had the rest of the day on our own. Guests wanting to set foot on the glacier could do so by helicopter tour, with several local businesses offering them. The area is also full of scenic hiking trails, and other popular activities are kayaking and ATV rentals. But we opted for something a little more tame.
The West Coast Wildlife Centre offers another chance to see live kiwi birds. Like the National Kiwi Bird Hatchery in Rotorua (from Day 5), photos aren’t allowed of the live birds, but without a glass partition, it was easier to see the kiwis that are being raised here for eventual release into the wild since you could hear them rustling in their habitat, so you knew where to look (kiwis are nocturnal, so their habitats are dark and lit only by a dim red light, a color they can’t see). This was also a different species of kiwi, the rarest of them all, the Rowi.
You can see the live kiwis with a general admission pass, which lasts for 48 hours and gives you come-and-go access. But we upgraded to the behind-the-scenes tour, which adds a 45-minute guided backstage experience to the hatchery. There was some overlap in information between this experience and the one we had in Rotorua, and since this is fall in New Zealand, the kiwi mating season is over. But the other highlight of the upgraded experience was an up-close encounter with a tuatara.
Tuatara were part of the New Zealand display at the Auckland Zoo (also on Day 2), but they were hiding when we went through. These reptiles are the only living species of Rhynchocephalia left, an early ancestor of snakes and lizards that have some qualities of both. And while there have been some evolutionary changes since the age of the dinosaurs, Tuatara are on a short list of living creatures that have been roaming the earth that long.
You can see tuatara behind glass at the West Coast Wildlife Centre, but doing the backstage tour removes that barrier. Our guide, Steve, brought one out of the display as he shared some incredible information about these fascinating prehistoric reptiles. The rest of the exhibits teach visitors more about the nearby glaciers, as well, and the tour ends with a gift shop and cafe, where we had lunch.
While exploring Franz Josef, we also found two moa statues for anyone looking for a photo with the extinct giant birds.
Franz Josef is also a restful retreat. The Te Waonui Forest Retreat has a spa that offers massage services, and just around the corner are the Waiho Hot Tubs. Tubs can be booked by the hour for individuals, couples, and families. Each one is secluded in its own forest alcove, and every tub is heated by aromatic wood. It was very peaceful and relaxing.
Our Adventure Guides shared a list of restaurant recommendations, and there’s a good variety of types of food here, with lots of restaurants serving pizzas, traditional pub grub, and lots of Asian fusion choices. We really enjoyed our time in Franz Josef, but the adventure must continue. Check back each day to follow along on our Adventures by Disney trip to New Zealand.