Stay in Franz Joseph or Fox Glacier?
Nov 2, 2015, 10:00 pm
#1
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Maui, HI
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Stay in Franz Joseph or Fox Glacier?
I'm working on my South Island itinerary. Obviously, I want to go to both glaciers. I will be there about 4, maybe 5, days. Should I stay in Franz Joseph or Fox Glacier? I'm not big on adventure. I'll hopefully do a helicopter tour, walk to the base of the glacier. Nothing too strenuous (desk worker here, not much exercise ordinarily).
Not looking for night life, just the closest to the glacier for walks, easy tour arrangements, and such.
From what I can tell, Fox Glacier has fewer hotels, but it might be more quaint, so more interesting to me.
Thoughts?
Thanks!!!
Not looking for night life, just the closest to the glacier for walks, easy tour arrangements, and such.
From what I can tell, Fox Glacier has fewer hotels, but it might be more quaint, so more interesting to me.
Thoughts?
Thanks!!!
Nov 2, 2015, 10:06 pm
#2
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Night life & glaciers?
Reads as if you have done little research
Nov 2, 2015, 11:35 pm
#3
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The 4 or 5 days is just the glaciers. I have about 3 weeks on South Island, 1 week already at Abel Tasman and several days in Kaikoura. Then the Trans Alpine train over to the glaciers. Thinking about then bus to Queenstown (already been there and Milford and Doubtful), bus/train to Dunedin. If I have time, a couple of days down to Invercargill and Stewart Island. I don't like less than 2 nights in any one place, prefer 3 or more.
Guess night life isn't what I meant. I don't need to eat out or go out in the evening. At dark, more or less, I'd be back in my room resting up for the next day. Just basic food options close-by. I didn't mean clubs and stuff, but I can see that it looked like that. So, which place has the best restaurants or other evening-type stuff isn't important.
Guess I'm trying to figure out which place has the best options for tours and a comfortable bed close to the glaciers and transportation. I won't be driving.
Guess night life isn't what I meant. I don't need to eat out or go out in the evening. At dark, more or less, I'd be back in my room resting up for the next day. Just basic food options close-by. I didn't mean clubs and stuff, but I can see that it looked like that. So, which place has the best restaurants or other evening-type stuff isn't important.
Guess I'm trying to figure out which place has the best options for tours and a comfortable bed close to the glaciers and transportation. I won't be driving.
Nov 3, 2015, 6:34 am
#4
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Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
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There isn't much accomodation and even less restaurants or nightlife. This may be a lot more remote than you are used to at SMF 
. Best to have accom pre-booked, it often sells out and 200km to the nearest free room is not unusual. When I went the highlight was a guided tour up the face of the glacier, they give you crampons and an axe, but the guides have cut steps in the ice in the steep parts as well as anchored some guide ropes. Still not for the faint-hearted, and several people in my tour group stayed at the base when they saw the climb up (no refunds on the $100+ tour fee). Really great experience and not that athletic but definitely a challenge. I think they've lost 1 tourist in 20 years doing this. As for Fox vs. FJ, they are effectively identical so pick the one where you get better accom. I did Fox Glacier as I wanted to visit Lake Matheson at right time of day -- well worth the visit. Really fantastic (in an opposite way to the glaciers, though I suppose it is a glacial remnant).
. Best to have accom pre-booked, it often sells out and 200km to the nearest free room is not unusual. When I went the highlight was a guided tour up the face of the glacier, they give you crampons and an axe, but the guides have cut steps in the ice in the steep parts as well as anchored some guide ropes. Still not for the faint-hearted, and several people in my tour group stayed at the base when they saw the climb up (no refunds on the $100+ tour fee). Really great experience and not that athletic but definitely a challenge. I think they've lost 1 tourist in 20 years doing this. As for Fox vs. FJ, they are effectively identical so pick the one where you get better accom. I did Fox Glacier as I wanted to visit Lake Matheson at right time of day -- well worth the visit. Really fantastic (in an opposite way to the glaciers, though I suppose it is a glacial remnant).
Nov 3, 2015, 10:38 pm
#5
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Then the Trans Alpine train over to the glaciers.
Thinking about then bus to Queenstown (already been there and Milford and Doubtful), bus/train to Dunedin.
Guess night life isn't what I meant. I don't need to eat out or go out in the evening. At dark, more or less, I'd be back in my room resting up for the next day. Just basic food options close-by. I didn't mean clubs and stuff, but I can see that it looked like that. So, which place has the best restaurants or other evening-type stuff isn't important.
Guess I'm trying to figure out which place has the best options for tours and a comfortable bed close to the glaciers and transportation. I won't be driving.
Guess I'm trying to figure out which place has the best options for tours and a comfortable bed close to the glaciers and transportation. I won't be driving.
Oh dear....
Unless you're just omitting a lot of detail there I think you might need to do a bit more research...
That said, I'd say Franz for the glaciers, but they're pretty close to each other physically in terms of travel time. Franz's bigger, but only in relative terms and it is simply the easier one to find accommodation and still have things nearby for day to day life for 3-4 days.
Nov 4, 2015, 4:42 pm
#6
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I've been to the glacier area multiple times. Franz Joseph is the best regarding accommodations/places to eat keeping in mind Franz Joseph is pretty minimal EVEN ON A NZ BASIS. Fox does have Lake Matheson; however, as someone has said, the two are only about a 40 min drive apart. I'd reco Franz Joseph.
... but all the ohhs ahhs are so weather dependent. If you get 4 days of bad weather regardless of which destination you pick (which is common in the rain forest), you'll be ready to off yourself. But if the weather is good, your helicopter landing or glacier climbing tour will be GLORIOUS.
The drive from Franz Joseph to Fox to see Lake Matheson will be disappointing if the weather is bad (clouded in). But just like the glacier tours ... with good weather, Lake Matheson is GLOROIUS !
BTW, you can do a walk up to the glacier face of either on your own ... no tour is needed.
What time of the year ?
... but all the ohhs ahhs are so weather dependent. If you get 4 days of bad weather regardless of which destination you pick (which is common in the rain forest), you'll be ready to off yourself. But if the weather is good, your helicopter landing or glacier climbing tour will be GLORIOUS.
The drive from Franz Joseph to Fox to see Lake Matheson will be disappointing if the weather is bad (clouded in). But just like the glacier tours ... with good weather, Lake Matheson is GLOROIUS !
BTW, you can do a walk up to the glacier face of either on your own ... no tour is needed.
What time of the year ?
Last edited by im-headed-west; Nov 4, 2015 at 4:57 pm
Nov 4, 2015, 10:16 pm
#7
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: Maui, HI
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I'll be getting there mid-December, as in a few weeks from now. Yeah, I'm a procrastinator. Turns out, as most you will know, my choice was very limited after leaving it to the last minute. Found a place in Franz Josef.
I'll keep positive thoughts going about the weather and deal with what ever I get. Many thanks to everyone!
I'll keep positive thoughts going about the weather and deal with what ever I get. Many thanks to everyone!
Nov 5, 2015, 6:56 am
#8
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Will be high season, so you'll have lots of company ... but should be nice long (~15 hours), warm days ... sucks that you wont have a car, a car would give you more flexibility.
Here are the maps that many accommodations will provide at check in so you can get a lay of the land ... and to answer your original questions ... depending on where your room is in FJ, you could walk to the FJ glacier face out/back in about 2 hrs (walking time only). The map also details where tour/booking locations, restaurants, other hikes, ... are.
Enjoy ... I'll be headed back to NZ in Apr for 3 weeks
FJ Glacier
Fox Glacierf
Here are the maps that many accommodations will provide at check in so you can get a lay of the land ... and to answer your original questions ... depending on where your room is in FJ, you could walk to the FJ glacier face out/back in about 2 hrs (walking time only). The map also details where tour/booking locations, restaurants, other hikes, ... are.
Enjoy ... I'll be headed back to NZ in Apr for 3 weeks
FJ Glacier
Fox Glacierf
Nov 21, 2015, 4:04 am
#10
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Bad News At Fox
Four British and two Australian tourists are believed to be among seven people killed in a helicopter crash in New Zealand, New Zealand police say.
The aircraft came down and landed in a crevasse on the Fox Glacier, on the country's South Island, on Saturday morning at about 11:00 local time.
Rescue teams in helicopters reached the crash site but found no sign of survivors, rescue co-ordinators said.
...
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34887978
Nov 21, 2015, 2:32 pm
#11
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For completeness the rest of the story:"Weather conditions were too bad on Saturday for crews to reach the scene where the helicopter crashed, in a crevasse 750 metres up a valley, to recover the bodies of those killed.
Inspector John Canning said recovery would be very difficult in the dangerous terrain, where debris was scatted hundreds of metres around the crash site.
"I'm not going to risk any more lives, we've lost seven," he said.
Earlier, four choppers responded to the crash site and winched a paramedic and a rescuer down to the scene to see if anyone had survived the crash."
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/world/helic...#ixzz3sAESnWK8
Inspector John Canning said recovery would be very difficult in the dangerous terrain, where debris was scatted hundreds of metres around the crash site.
"I'm not going to risk any more lives, we've lost seven," he said.
Earlier, four choppers responded to the crash site and winched a paramedic and a rescuer down to the scene to see if anyone had survived the crash."
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/world/helic...#ixzz3sAESnWK8