Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WESTLAND TAI POUTINI NATIONAL
PARK
The biggest highlights of the Westland Tai Poutini National Park are the Franz Josef and
Fox glaciers. Nowhere else at this latitude do glaciers come so close to the ocean. The gla-
ciers' staggering development is largely due to the West Coast's ample rain; snow falling in
the glaciers' broad accumulation zones fuses into clear ice at 20m depth, then surges down
the steep valleys.
Some say Franz Josef is the superior ice experience, and, while it's visually more im-
pressive, the walk to Fox is shorter, more interesting and often gets you closer to the ice.
Both glacier faces are roped off to prevent people being caught in icefalls and river surges.
The danger is very real - in 2009 two tourists were killed after being hit by falling ice when
they ventured too close. The only way to get close to or on to the ice safely is on a guided
tour.
Beyond the glaciers, the park's lower reaches harbour deserted Tasman Sea beaches,
rising up through colour-splashed podocarp forests to NZ's highest peaks. Diverse and of-
ten unique ecosystems huddle next to each other in interdependent ecological sequence.
Seals frolic in the surf as deer sneak through the forests. The resident endangered bird spe-
cies include kakariki, kaka and rowi (the Okarito brown kiwi), as well as kea, the South Is-
land's native parrot. Kea are inquisitive and endearing, but feeding them threatens their
health.
Heavy tourist traffic often swamps the twin towns of Franz and Fox, 23km apart. Franz
is the more action-packed of the two, while Fox has a more subdued alpine charm. From
December to February, visitor numbers can get a little crazy in both, so consider travelling
in the shoulder seasons: September/October and March/April.
