The Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers; The World’s most impressive Glacier

The glaciers not only look amazing but are also amazingly accessible for what they are as they are situated at only 300m above sea level. The Glaciers are 12KM long and situated in the wonderful Maori area of New Zealand on the West Coast and are part of Te Wahipounamu, a World Heritage Site park. The area receives over quarter of a million visitors every year, most of whom are here to see the magnificent glaciers, with over 2,700 people often coming to see the fast moving ice sheets which move at a relatively hectic 70cm a day – making them the world’s fastest moving glacier and around ten times faster than the average ice sheet. Hotel DealsThe locals in and around the town of Franz Josef are famed for their friendliness and though the area is swamped in tourists, there are only 330 homes there permanently. Most of the residents are guides to the area, offering trips of the glacier, helicopter trips and other climbing experiences. The area does have an abundance of hotel deals, though booking early before going there is probably the best to try and avoid the huge numbers of people looking for accommodation. A good hotel deal can be found on numerous sites on the Internet and as the area is so prominent for tourism, as you can imagine there are plenty of guides the best and worst places to stay. Helicopter RidesThe most spectacular way to see the area is by helicopter. The town itself lies between both the glaciers and there are numerous helicopter companies willing to show visitors the spectacular sites of the two glaciers. Staying in one of the local hotels with a hotel deal is ideal for easy access to these amenities. Helicopters land on top of the glaciers and allow people a wonderful view of this awe inspiring site. Heli hiking as the experience is called offers an amazing panorama of Mt Cook and Mt Tasman as well as of the Tasman Sea. This area of the glacier isn’t easily gotten to by walking and so the heli-hiking offers something few people see. Ice TrekkingFor those that like a little more adventure, ice climbing trekking may be their cup of tea. This form of hiking involves people being harnessed in and climbing the sides of the glacier. This is needless to say a rewarding and also amazing experience, which offers safe but huge thrills. Climbing over overhangs and other such moves never done before will get your heart pumping and the adrenalin rushing. If you want something different again, then why not just trek through a rain forest on the way to the glacier – yes a rain forest beside a glacier – this is New Zealand. This offers spectacular photo opportunities and allows you to see the best of the forest as you listen to the creaks of the moving glacier nearby and its millions of tonnes of ice. Hot BathsFor more relaxing times the area also is famed for its hot baths and glacial hot pools. These are based near the town and are often included in hotel deals. Sit in the relaxing hot baths as you unwind and let your muscles loosen after a long days trekking. Many of these baths are secluded underneath the rainforest covering and allow amazing views of the night sky through the roof of the fantastic rainforest. Other Amazing ActivitiesThe area also includes other amazing opportunities such as sky diving over the Tasman Sea and kayaking on some of the areas wonderful mirror lakes. This offers a wonderful vista of the mountains, sky and the beautiful area as a whole. The area of Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers is a spectacular one and is a place that anyone in New Zealand for holidays or more permanently must visit to appreciate it in its fullest.