Family Fun at Franz Josef Glacier
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Glacier Valley Walks
There are four short family friendly walks in the Franz Josef Glacier valley. Take a picnic lunch and see if you can complete the Sentinel Rock Walk, Douglas Walk, Franz Josef Glacier Valley Walk, and Lake Wombat Walk in one day. Don't forget sunscreen, water, warm clothing and wet weather gear, just in case! For more information about the walks, and up to the minute information on conditions check in at the Franz Josef/Waiau DOC visitors' centre.
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Across Country Quadbikes Fun for all the family is guaranteed at Across Country Quadbikes! Children can accompany adults, as passengers. This is a great family adventure. Drive through rainforests, along riverbeds, and, of course, through glorious mud! All the gear is provided,including helmets, jackets, pants, boots and socks. |
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Mountains to the Sea: Epic Views
There are two spectacular view points on Canavan’s Knob. The first allows you to look towards the Tasman Sea and down the Waiho Flats. The second looks up to the Franz Josef Glacier flanked by temperate rain forest.
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Hire a Bike
Use some pedal power and tread lightly on the earth. Hire a mountain bike from the team at Across Country Quad Bikes. Explore the new cycleway, which winds through the rainforest up the Franz Josef Glacier valley. The ride out to end of the Waiho Flats Road is also spectacular.
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A Family Drive down Waiho Flat Road
Drive down the Waiho Flat Road and get a totally different perspective of the mountains. Over 18,000 years ago the Franz Josef Glacier stretched down this valley all the way to the sea. Enjoy the peaceful farmland, and walk the track to the Waiho Beach.
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Fishy Tales at Okarito
Buy a 400g bag of Talley’s squid bait from Glacier Motors, and drive out to the Okarito Wharf to feed the fish. Read the stories of Okarito on the information boards inside the boat shed, and see how many different birds you can identify from the wharf.
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Immerse yourself in the educational displays on the glaciers, geology, local tracks and walks, Westland Tai Poutini National Park, Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area. Learn about about the Rowi Okarito Brown kiwi- the rarest kiwi in the world.
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Scenic Flights An unforgettable family experience. Share the thrill of a scenic flight and discover the beauty of Glacier Country's high alpine environment together. See rugged westcoast rainforests, cascading waterfalls, spectacular glaciers and New Zealand's highest peaks from the air. The awe inspiring views of New Zealand's iconic scenery will be a lasting family memory. There are a range of flight-seeing options available in Glacier Country.
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Helicopter Watch
Walk down to the car park on the Waiho River and watch the helicopters from Glacier Helicopters, Fox & Franz Heliservices, The Helicopter Line and Mountain Helicopters take visitors on scenic flights. These versatile machines with their world class pilots are ideal for snow landings, and impressive to watch.
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Glacier Hot Pools
Immerse yourself in nature. Enjoy a little bit of luxury while soaking away the strains of travelling. You can enjoy one of the three public pools surrounded by natural rainforest at the Glacier Hot Pools.
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Glow Worm Hunt
Take a flashlight and wander the Terrace Walk after dark. Glow worms create their own galaxies hidden in old tree stumps, and on the historic gold mining sluice face at the end of the track. Look for the hollow tree trunk only 100 metres along the track on the right-hand side.
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Flowing West: Helimax cinema
See ‘Flowing West - The Glacier Movie’ on the Helimax screen. Take a journey from the Tasman Sea to the slopes of the Southern Alps. Speed effortlessly across Glacier Country following the rain cycle of South Westland.
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Take a flashlight and explore a 500 metre long mining tunnel built by the “The Waiho Sluicing Company.” The walk follows the Tatare River and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes return. Read the informative display board at the start of the tunnel, and look for glow worms in the darkened tunnel.
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Cafe Crawl
There are lots of great cafes to explore in Glacier Country. Start in Okarito at Okarito Nature Tours. Drive to Franz Josef Glacier Village, Fox Glacier Village, Lake Matheson and wind your way to the Salmon Farm Cafe.
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Swim at Otto’s Corner
Even in winter you can complete your own polar bear challenge. Take the turn off onto the metal road just north of Lake Mapourika. Park at Otto’s Corner, and look for the landscaped steps at the lakeside end of the campground. Walk down to the peaceful swimming spot with a pebbly beach.
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Postcards
Look for the NZICESCAPE postcards created by our talented local photographer Petr Hlavacek. Keep one for your own memoirs, and send someone special an image from Glacier Country. Glacier Motors is the local NZ Post agent where you can buy stamps, and post your treasures home.
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Lunch in a Historic Mountain Hut
Take a packed lunch to the Defiance Hut behind the DOC Visitor Information Centre. This historic hut was originally built at Cape Defiance above the Franz Josef Glacier. Inside you will find displays of historic skiing and climbing equipment, traditional mountain rations and an intriguing hut book.
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Go Camping
Spend a night out in the open air and enjoy the MacDonald’s Creek/ Otto’s Corner Department of Conservation campsite at Lake Mapourika. The Okarito Camp Ground is another great camping option. This campground includes pay showers and a covered lounge area. The campground is just a stone's throw from the beach. There are lots of family friendly activities in and around Okarito Village.
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Explore Okarito The village of Okarito is a great place for a family day out. Children will love the walk along the beach to search for driftwood, shells and stones. The Okarito wetland walk is a great one for smaller legs. Check out the insect life in the water. |
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AROUND FOX GLACIER
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Lake Matheson Walk
Don't miss this classic New Zealand view. Even in cloudy and wet weather the lake will offer specatcular reflections. Take a camera, and go on a photographic safari around Lake Matheson. Walk through the tangled mass off the podocarp rainforest, take action shots at every viewpoint, look out for native birds and hunt for eels at the ‘View of Views.’ The cafe and gift shop are also well worth a visit.
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Peak View Lookout
Drive to Fox Glacier village, then head down Cook Flat Road to the Peak View Lookout. This is a great place for a picnic. On a clear day the plane tablenmounted on a stone plinth and can be used to identify the peaks of the Southern Alps Kä Tiritiri o Te Moana. On a clear evening, the Peak View lookout is a spectacular place to take in the sunset.
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Hunts Beach
Drive through Fox Glacier village, and continue travelling South for about 20 minutes. You will find the Hunts Beach turn off just before Jacobs River Makawhio. The short drive to the coast will take you to this spectacular West Coast beach. The rugged, untouched coastline is spectacular. Children will enjoy searching for shiny pebbles and other treasures on the beach. You may even find a small piece of Aotea stone.
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Feed the Salmon
There is something meditative about feeding the salmon at the Salmon Farm Cafe, just north of Lake Paringa. Use your loose change to buy a bag of fish food and watch the greedy fat salmon fight for their treats.
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