Waiho River Franz Josef Glacier Westland National Park NZ
Photo & Vacation Spot

The beauty of the Waiho River flowing down the mountainside from the Franz Josef Glacier in Westland National Park on the South Island of NZ while aboard a tour with Glacier Helicopters.

The Franz Josef Glacier in Westland National Park on the West Coast of the South Island of NZ is a popular tourist attraction which many see by foot while others enjoy a tour with Glacier Helicopters. As the ice of the Franz Josef Glacier melts during the warmer months, the Waiho River begins to flow faster which aggrades about 300mm every year.

The location of the Waiho River sits above a small town which concerns many of the local residents as the possibility of flooding is very real, one that could easily wipe out this town. Banks were created to help keep the town from becoming flooded but as the Franz Josef Glacier melt increases, the banks are starting to decrease in size.

People are trying to fix this problem, but depending on the amount of rainfall, how much the glacier ice melts and what type of natural disasters may happen, the threat of floods are very real. As visitors soar above the Waiho River in a helicopter, one can see exactly how far the water winds amongst this glacier landscape.

Braided Waiho River coming from the Franz Josef Glacier, Westland National Park, West Coast, South Island, New Zealand.