Fox Glacier - Franz Joseph
We have found that our clients often need transport to either Fox Glacier or Franz Josef to continue their holiday in New Zealand, Driver Queenstown offers you a relaxed and comfortable transport option – No need to travel on a bus for 5 hours!
General information
Franz Josef Glacier is currently 12 km (7.5 mi) long and terminates 19 km (12 mi) from the Tasman Sea. Fed by a 20-square-kilometer (7.7 sq mi) large snowfield at high altitude, it exhibits a cyclic pattern of advance and retreat, driven by differences between the volume of melt-water at the foot of the glacier and volume of snowfall feeding the névé.
Franz Josef Glacier had periods of advances from;
– 1946-1951 (340m)
– 1965–1967 (400m)
– 1983–1999 (1420m)
– 2004–2008 (280m)
The glacier advanced rapidly during the Little Ice Age, reaching a maximum in the early eighteenth century. Having retreated several kilometers between the 1940s and 1980s, the glacier entered an advancing phase in 1984 and at times has advanced at the phenomenal (by glacial standards) rate of 70cm a day. The flow rate is about 10 times that of typical glaciers.
Over the longer term, the glacier has retreated since the last ice age, and it is believed that it extended into the sea some 10,000 to 15,000 years ago.
Transport schedule
Collection at approx 8am
Transport to Makarora (2 hours approx) Short stop for coffee – toilet break
Possible stops along the way include: Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea, Fantail Falls, The Blue Pools, Ships Creek. (drive time 2:30 hours)
Approx arrival time is 1:30pm
Driver will return to Queenstown
Testimonials
Have a general enquiry?Contact us today.
We will endeavour to get back to within 24 hours.
As you can appreciate we may be with other clients.
Please note that Driver Queenstown has a cancellation policy for any tour that cancels within 24 hours of the start time 100% full payment will be issued.