Our team working our way up the base of Franz Josef Glacier
Franz Josef was one of my favorite stops on the south island circuit. Many places become memorable because of the people you meet, and that was true of my stay in FJ. I arrived New Years Eve in time for dinner and hit it off with my other three dorm mates instantly. There was another American guy and two girls…one from Germany and one from Malaysia. We sat around the kitchen eating and chatting and were eventually joined by another group. We shared laughs and travel stories before heading to one of the two bars in town to celebrate (Blue Ice bar). It was super low key but a ton of fun. After the clock struck 12 and we ushered in 2010, we headed back to the backpacker for more fun and laughs. Our group hung together over the next few days and even cooked a big New Years day meal. I met up with some of the gang in Queenstown a few days later…but more on that in another post!
I stayed at Montrose Backpackers in Franz Josef and would highly recommend it to anyone. It was clean, had two fully equipped kitchens, and had great space for hanging out or watching movies. This comes in handy as it dumped down rain for two straight days during my stay! One of my favorite hostels in NZ.
If you come to FJ, your trip will not be complete without a glacier tour. You can take a helicopter to the top of Franz Josef Glacier and hike around, or you can do half day or full day tours starting at the base. I opted for a half day tour as I was told that the full day is too much time on the ice. Glad I chose the half day! It was an absolutely amazing experience, but it does get quite chilly on the ice! If you haven’t see pictures yet, you can check them out here (glacier pics start about 2/3 of the way down).
FJ is a tiny town with a small market and sprinkling of restaurants. If you don’t come with expectations of a Queenstown type atmosphere you will really enjoy yourself. There are many free day hikes or half day hikes in the area. Many offer stunning views of the glacier. You can hike out to the base of the glacier by hiking the Glacier Valley walk. This is an easy trail with waterfall views that takes you right to the base of one of New Zealand’s most accessible glaciers.
