Things to do at Franz Josef Glacier

Franz Josef Glacier, Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere, flows down to around 300 metres above sea level through temperate rainforest, a combination found almost nowhere else.

Since 2012 there has been no walking access onto the ice itself: the glacier has retreated behind unstable moraine, and the only way onto it now is by helicopter, with flights grounded on poor-weather days more often than visitors expect. From Queenstown it is roughly 350 km, about 5 h 30 by road. 5 hours return and costs nothing.

A heli-hike runs from around NZD 470 to NZD 550 for 3 to 4 hours including 30 to 40 minutes on the ice. The village's hot pools cost around NZD 34 to 55 for a soak.