Franz Josef Glacier Viewing Platform Westland National Park
Photo & Vacation Spot

The fog sits high enough in the valley to allow the people on a viewing platform in Westland National Park in New Zealand to enjoy the scenery of the Franz Josef Glacier.

Visitors can read the information signs and enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Franz Josef Glacier from a viewing platform in Westland National Park on the South Island of New Zealand. There are many high areas where the view of the Franz Josef Glacier is stunning and other areas which require some long walks above the snowline where the glaciers, the main divide, the forests and the sea can be seen.

Westland National Park covers about 450 square miles and was established in 1960. Franz Josef Glacier is one of the highlights found here which spans a distance of 7 miles in length. Increasing temperatures over the years have caused the Franz Josef Glacier to retreat at a faster pace than seen in the past with the last ice age being about 14,000 years ago.

The landscape of the park is blanketed with more than 60 glaciers, but two of them, the Franz Josef Glacier and the Fox Glacier, are the only ones in the world which flow down to the climates of the rain forests. The glacier originates from the snow fields located in the highest mountain range of the Southern Alps and the viewing platforms throughout the park, make it easier for visitors to view their natural beauty.

New Zealand, South Island, Westland National Park, Summer, Franz Josef Glacier