The path up to the glacier not for the faint hearted and definitely need good walking shoes. The view of the glacier was well worth the effort, fantastic!!
The path up to the glacier not for the faint hearted and definitely need good walking shoes. The view of the glacier was well worth the effort, fantastic!!
The glacier is an easy hours walk from the carpark and well wotrth the effort. Get in early for a tranquil experience before the helicopters start flying.
Fox glacier is reached by helicopter, which although expensive is a must. The flight over the glacier is breathtaking and if conditions are right you land on the glacier and are able to walk on it. You can walk part of the way to have a look at where the glacier spills into the valley .
With markers showing where the glacier reached it gives you a real feel for how nature ebbs & flows over the years/decades. The approach & surrounding area is well managed by the DOC and the shortish climb is very rewarding once you get there
This walk is just over an hour round trip to the viewing platform. Be warned the walk starts off gently enough but it is a fairly steep incline for the last part. You do need to be reasonably fit. You also cross a couple of streams using rocks, so be prepared and wear decent shoes. It did rain lightly while we were there. We went about 5 pm in summer - it was still quite busy, but thinned out on the return. Toilets are located in the car park. Lots of helicopters passed overhead during our walk.
We did the Fox Glacier helihike. It was recommended as the better of the two glaciers near each other, which offer a helihike. Whilst they were a little too casual for my liking when it came to safety (don't record any details such as emergency contact person, don't get you to sign an indemnity form, etc) the experience was great. They were also probably a bit lax when it came to overseas tourists (we were there during Chinese new year celebrations) - I'm not sure any of the Chinese who were on our trip understood what was expected of them when it came to staying safe on the glacier. The only thing which would have made it even better would have been if they actually flew you up and over the entire glacier, rather than just to where you disembark to walk on the ice.