ICE AND CULTURE
11 JANUARY 2024
A Striking Contrast
The Fox Glacier Lookout, located on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, offers the perfect vantage point to see the stunning Fox Glacier. It's one of the few glaciers in the world that descends into a rainforest, creating a striking contrast between ice and lush greenery.
The viewpoint is right next to the carpark which is awesome because who doesn't love an awesome view that we don't have to hike hours to get to? Meeeee (although I do love my hikes)! The glacier is still quite a while away from the viewpoint, so don't think you'll be getting up close and personal to Mr Glacier when you get there.
There is a plane table which shows you the names of the mountains in the Southern Alps when you point it at them. I love these spinny thingys as it is so helpful to know which mountain is which, because most of them look identical! Sienna spent quite a while turning it around and looking over the top of it. It's always nice when the girls can find something to enjoy at each place we visit.
A waka sculpture sits beautifully at the lookout and it has such a beautiful and intricate design, as most Maori designs are. A waka is a traditional Maori canoe. The Fox Glacier Viewpoint is called Te Kopikopiko o te Waka in Te Reo Maori (the official language of the Maori) and it translates as the capsized canoe. It refers to how the Southern Alps and the South Island were created, often called Te Waka o Aoraki, meaning Aoraki's canoe. While people now commonly call the South Island Te Waipounamu, it used to be called Te Waka o Aoraki. You're able to sit in the waka, however when we went the path was being fixed so we couldn't enjoy the whole waka.
According to Ngāi Tahu (NZ's largest iwi/tribe) stories, Aoraki and his brothers, sons of the sky god Ranginui, set out from the heavens to meet their father's new wife, the earth goddess Papatūānuku. However, finding only a vast ocean, they tried to return to the sky. Aoraki, as the eldest, forgot a crucial chant, causing the waka to crash back into the sea. Now, it's like a capsized canoe and Aoraki and his brothers became New Zealand's tallest mountains. (Fun fact: Mt Cook is called Aoraki in Te Reo Maori)
The viewpoint is right next to the carpark which is awesome because who doesn't love an awesome view that we don't have to hike hours to get to? Meeeee (although I do love my hikes)! The glacier is still quite a while away from the viewpoint, so don't think you'll be getting up close and personal to Mr Glacier when you get there.
There is a plane table which shows you the names of the mountains in the Southern Alps when you point it at them. I love these spinny thingys as it is so helpful to know which mountain is which, because most of them look identical! Sienna spent quite a while turning it around and looking over the top of it. It's always nice when the girls can find something to enjoy at each place we visit.
A waka sculpture sits beautifully at the lookout and it has such a beautiful and intricate design, as most Maori designs are. A waka is a traditional Maori canoe. The Fox Glacier Viewpoint is called Te Kopikopiko o te Waka in Te Reo Maori (the official language of the Maori) and it translates as the capsized canoe. It refers to how the Southern Alps and the South Island were created, often called Te Waka o Aoraki, meaning Aoraki's canoe. While people now commonly call the South Island Te Waipounamu, it used to be called Te Waka o Aoraki. You're able to sit in the waka, however when we went the path was being fixed so we couldn't enjoy the whole waka.
According to Ngāi Tahu (NZ's largest iwi/tribe) stories, Aoraki and his brothers, sons of the sky god Ranginui, set out from the heavens to meet their father's new wife, the earth goddess Papatūānuku. However, finding only a vast ocean, they tried to return to the sky. Aoraki, as the eldest, forgot a crucial chant, causing the waka to crash back into the sea. Now, it's like a capsized canoe and Aoraki and his brothers became New Zealand's tallest mountains. (Fun fact: Mt Cook is called Aoraki in Te Reo Maori)
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What A Load Of Bull...
On our way back to Franz Josef, we pulled over on the side of the road so I could get more photos of the glacier (as though I hadn't taken a million already!), as I felt like this part of the road was a lot closer to the glacier than the viewpoint was.
As soon as I got out of the car, I had made around 20 new best friends... with bulls! They were literally scrambling all over each other to get to me, because I am just that awesome ;)
With the mountains and snow in the background, the green grass and the bulls, it felt like a scene from Switzerland. I took my photos and said goodbye to my new best friends, jealous of the view from their home!
As soon as I got out of the car, I had made around 20 new best friends... with bulls! They were literally scrambling all over each other to get to me, because I am just that awesome ;)
With the mountains and snow in the background, the green grass and the bulls, it felt like a scene from Switzerland. I took my photos and said goodbye to my new best friends, jealous of the view from their home!
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Know Before You Go
- The lookout is right beside the carpark, making it such an easy place to get an incredible view
- There is a plane table which helps you identify the mountains in the range
- There are no toilets here, use the ones in Fox Glacier (the town!) or at the Lake Matheson Cafe further along the road
- I don't know how far away the glacier is exactly, but I'd say roughly 13kms
- This is the perfect spot to see the glacier if you're just passing through Fox Glacier
- It's a great place for a picnic... it's so peaceful here!
- Visit on a clear, or almost clear day, to make the most out of the view. If it's raining or foggy I doubt you'll see anything!
- Continue on from here to do the Lake Matheson Track, which has a mirror lake (on a still day - morning is best) and blue mushrooms at certain times of the year
How To Get To The Fox Glacier Lookout
The Fox Glacier Lookout is 7-minutes from Fox Glacier town and 35-minutes south of Franz Josef. It's on the same road to Lake Matheson, where there is a walk around the lake that we highly recommend doing!
Click here for the location on Google Maps.
Click here for the location on Google Maps.
Conclusion
The Fox Glacier Viewpoint is such a great spot to see the glacier as it has uninterrupted views the whole way across. Even if you see the glacier from the Fox Glacier Southside Track, or via a scenic flight, it's still worth parking up and enjoying the glacier and the perfect spot to take some shots with a long lense. Anywhere along the road out to the viewpoint is great to stop at to see the glacier as you may find a closer spot to view it from.
It's the ideal spot to see the glacier if you are passing through Fox Glacier and don't have time to do one of the walks.
It's the ideal spot to see the glacier if you are passing through Fox Glacier and don't have time to do one of the walks.
More to do in New Zealand
CALLERY GORGE WALK
WEST COAST Hike 5.2kms through a lush, green rainforest, past waterfalls & impressive viewpoints, to the gorge filled with electric blue water.
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WOODS CREEK TRACK
WEST COAST Walk through old goldmining tunnels where you can see the history and find cave weta on the roof! The short walk is full of discoveries.
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LAKE PUKAKI
CANTERBURY This is the bluest lake in New Zealand and is surrounded by the Southern Alps and has a view of the world famous Mt Cook.
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