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There are more than 60 glaciers in the Westland/Tai Poutini National Park. Two of them - the Fox and the Franz Josef - are the most well known.
The glaciers stem from snowfields high in the Southern Alps, but Maori legend explains their existence more poetically. It is said that a beautiful girl named Hinehukatere loved the mountains in this park and encouraged her lover, Tawe, to climb them with her. He slipped and fell to his death and Hinehukatere's tears formed the glaciers. The area is known as "Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere" - the tears of the avalanche girl.
From peaks that are over 3000 metres high to lowland rainforest at the edge of the Tasman Sea, this park is an exquisitely beautiful slice of wilderness.
For many travellers, the fast-moving Fox and Franz Josef glaciers are the primary reason to visit. They move up to four metres every day, which in the glacier world is uncommonly rapid (the Tasman Glacier, on the eastern side of the great divide, moves at only 650 millimetres a day). At the foot of each glacier, you can hear the grinding, crushing sounds of ancient ice forcing itself down the time-worn valleys.
Between the glaciers and the sea, the park is a bird watcher's paradise. Rainforest and large areas of wetland shelter rare species such as the Okarito Brown Kiwi, Southern Crested Grebe (kamana) and White Heron (kotuku).
For climbers and ski-tourers, the Department of Conservation offers a series of alpine huts high in the park. Hikers walking to the hot pools at Welcome Flat can book overnight accommodation in a 'Serviced Alpine' DOC hikers' hut.
The towns of Fox Glacier and Franz Josef provide a full range of accommodation - from backpacker lodges to luxury hotels. You'll also find a good range of restaurants, cafes and tour companies specialising in guided glacier walks and other forms of adventure.
On and over the glaciers
There are several ways to experience the glaciers. You can walk to the terminus of either glacier, or hike through the bush to a viewing point. Another option is to join a guided glacier walk - ice climbing equipment is provided. Or you can take to the air and see the glaciers from a helicopter or small plane.
Backcountry walks
The one day trek to the Welcome Flat hot pools requires a moderate level of fitness and outdoor experience. You'll need to stay overnight in the DOC hut (a hut ticket is required) before returning the next day. Mountaineering experience is essential for the historic Copland Track, which crosses the great divide.
Birdwatching
During the nesting season, local guides can take you to see the beautiful kotuku (white herons) in the Waitangi Roto Nature Reserve. Kayaking on lakes, or the Okarito lagoon, is another way to spy on the bird life.
By Jeannie Bourke