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- Apr 27, 2024
- ☁️ 4 °C
- Altitude: 1,358 m
New ZealandWest CoastFranz Josef Glacier/Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere43°28’24” S 170°11’60” E
Franz Josef Glacier - Heli Hiking

Over the next few days, we stopped in Westport and Lake Mahinapua for one night each. There is not really much to write about. Westport is a surfing spot but surfing was not something I wanted to do in New Zealand's winter and in Lake Mahinapua, our group was doing a costume party. Nothing too wild. A cool stop on the way to Mahinapua were the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks - large rock formations that look like stacked pancakes.
We left Lake Mahinapua a bit earlier on the following morning in order to arrive in Franz Josef while the weather was still good (the forecast for next day was rain). This was important, as some of us booked one of the most exhilarating non-adrenalin activity in New Zealand: Heli Hiking the Franz Josef Glacier.
More specifically, it means to take a helicopter up the glacier and then walk around it for 2-2.5h, navigating crevasses, walking through ice tunnels, crawling through ice holes, etc. Clear weather is essential, as the cancellation rate for the heli hike is around 60%, as they only fly up when it is safe.
In any case, we made it on time, got the safety briefing, put on the gear, walked towards the helicopter, got in and took off. The view from the heli was simply breathtaking and we went high up for a perfect landing in the middle of the glacier.
We put on our crampons so we could walk on ice and then started walking through the glacier. It was a very cool experience to be among the ‘eternal’ white and blue ice while the sun was shining upon us, tasting and licking glacier walls, listening to the sound of crampons walking on ice, and navigating very narrow pathways in which you literally have to go sidewise, otherwise you would not fit. Our guide told those that are claustrophobic to just wait, as the ice would obviously melt if we get stuck.
Unfortunately, around 100 minutes into our walk on the glacier, clouds started to roll in, which the heli pilots did not like. Therefore, our hike was cut short in order to make it safely back to the ground. And so, we got picked up by the heli on the glacier and flew back to the home base.
The next day, I walked up to a viewpoint that I was at 13 years ago to see how far the glacier had retreated - it was shocking.
Anyway, I leave Franz Josef with some mixed feelings. On the one hand, the heli hike was a really cool thing to do and it might as well be one of the only places in the world where you can do such a thing. However, the price tag of NZD695 (almost €400) was too steep in hindsight for what the experience was. It was super cool, but it was not worth THAT much.
For that price, it should be a full day hike, lunch, and maybe a ticket to a spa afterwards. I remember 13 years ago, we could still walk up the glacier and spend a full day there for a lot less - and with even better ice formations/tunnels.
At this point on my trip, I was not quite happy with New Zealand. There is lots of cool stuff to do and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking, but I felt that pretty much every single activity is heavily overpriced. All of these things are very cool and sometimes unique to do, but the price tag just leaves a not so nice taste.Read more
Traveler
Wahnsinn, und das tolle Wetter dazu! 👍 Tolle Bilder und wunderschöne Eindrücke!
Traveler
Danke dir Matthias. War wirklich ein außergewöhnliches Erlebnis. Auch wenn ich nicht weiß, ob der Preis gerechtfertigt ist - so wie vieles in NZ