Fox Glacier drains the western slopes of the Southern Alps descending from the permanent snowfields at around 2300 metres where the snow accumulates, to the glacier toe which rumbles to approximately 200 metres above sea level.
Fox Township is some 172 kilometres (110 miles) from Hokitika in the north and 119kms (75 miles) from Haast township or 273 kms (170 miles) from Wanaka in the south. Travel is easy on fully sealed roads flanked by podacarp forests down the west coast.
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From Christchurch you can drive over Arthur's Pass before descending onto the plains surrounding Hokitika 259 kms (162 miles) which will take you on average 3 to 4 hours. Or you can relax on what is heralded as one of New Zealand's greatest rail trips on the Tranz Alpine Express from Christchurch to Greymouth.
The drive from Nelson to Hokitika 338 kms (211 miles) is longer and usually involves a day driving down the Buller Gorge to the coast and then south via Punakaiki and Greymouth. Either route is a spectacular entry to the West Coast. |
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From Hokitika to Fox Glacier is 166 kms (103 miles) and the highway is dotted with small rural towns linked to the history of the West Coast. Gold mining towns, forestry mills and farming are interspersed with Sphagnum Moss farming and dairying. Gradually as you enter the glacier region the influences of the past glacier advances become obvious with their ancient lateral and terminal moraine walls evident from some of the many highway vantage points.
Finally you reach Franz Josef Glacier and the start of the last 26 kms (16 miles) over the next three saddles before you finally reach Fox Glacier, which is nestled in the base of the foothills at the head of the Cook River flats. |
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Coming from the south, visitors will usually pass through Lake Wanaka township before driving on via Lake Hawera and then Makaroa township. The latter marks the start of the beech forests that shade the road as it rises to the summit of the Haast Pass before descending steeply to Pleasant Flat at the confluence of the Landsborough River as it turns west to the sea. From here out to Haast Township is approximately an hour drive before the chance to stop and explore.
26kms north of Haast is Knights Point with its spectacular coast line stretching endlessly towards Fox Glacier. From here the road turns inland and skirts past Lake Moeraki and Lake Paringa which are worthy of a break.
Now the road straightens and for a brief time parallels the coast before once more heading inland, past the Karangarua and the start of the Copland valley before a final 26kms to Fox Village itself and Te Weheka. The hotel is sited opposite the Department of Conservation headquarters, approximately 100m north of the shops and village centre, on the corner of the main road and Sullivan Road (State Highway 6). |
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