A glacier walk in New Zealand’s South Island is not something you do every day. We took a short helicopter ride, put on crampons, and explored a world of ice formations, crevasses, and wide-open spaces. In this post, I’m sharing photos and a few thoughts from that unique experience – one of the highlights of our trip.
A glacier walk in New Zealand South Island | Une randonnée sur glacier dans l’île du Sud de la Nouvelle-Zélande | Eine Gletscherwanderung auf der Südinsel Neuseelands | Una caminata por un glaciar en la Isla Sur de Nueva Zelanda | Spacer po lodowcu na Wyspie Południowej Nowej Zelandii | ニュージーランド南島での氷河トレッキング | 뉴질랜드 남섬에서의 빙하 트레킹 | 在新西兰南岛的冰川徒步旅行
Heading to New Zealand, you expect to enjoy breathtaking nature – and you absolutely will. But the country offers more than just scenic walks and stunning views. Many incredible places are not easily accessible on foot, or reaching them would cost too much time and effort. That’s why New Zealand’s outdoor tourism industry is so well developed – with helicopters, boats, water gear, and cleverly built pathways that allow access to remote spots without the need for professional equipment. What’s also important is that New Zealand isn’t easily overrun by mass tourism. Most of the time, you’ll find yourself exploring in small groups, surrounded by silence and space, with no one else around – or at least not close enough to notice. And that’s exactly how it was during our glacier walk on the South Island.
When we crossed from New Zealand’s North Island to the South Island by ferry, a storm was in the forecast – possibly even a cyclone. And sure enough, the night we were supposed to reach Fox Glacier, where our glacier walk was originally scheduled, it hit. In the Southern Alps, where our hike was meant to happen, avalanches caused by the storm damaged State Highway 6 in several places, cutting off access to the Fox Glacier valley. Our bit of luck in all this was that we had planned a night’s stay just before crossing the mountains, with the idea of continuing to Fox the next morning. So we made it to our accommodation, but it became clear that getting across the range in time for our booking wasn’t going to happen. What we learned (and what we’d keep learning throughout the trip) is that New Zealand’s outdoor industry is not only adventurous, but impressively well-organized – especially when the weather messes with your plans. We had to cancel our original tour to Fox Glacier, but luckily, there was a similar heli-hiking option available nearby, at Franz Josef Glacier, on the accessible side of the mountain. So the glacier we eventually walked on wasn’t the one we’d originally planned to visit – but we were still able to join a morning group at Franz Josef, cancel with the other operator, and make the most of the day.
The Southern Alps are the main mountain range of New Zealand’s South Island, stretching over 500 kilometers along the island’s rugged western coast. The highest peak, Aoraki / Mount Cook (3,724 m), carries both a Māori and a European name – as do many natural landmarks in New Zealand. The name Alps was given by James Cook and his crew, who thought these snow-covered peaks looked strikingly similar to the European Alps they knew from home. On the western slopes of this range – steep, wet, and densely forested – lie the two most famous glaciers: Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier. What makes them unique is how low they descend, reaching almost into temperate rainforest and lying only a short distance from the sea. Franz Josef Glacier (known in Māori as Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere) was named in 1865 by Austrian geologist Julius von Haast, in honor of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. According to Māori legend, the glacier was formed from the tears of a young woman mourning her lover, who died in the mountains – which is why its traditional name translates to The Tears of Hine Hukatere. It’s a place where alpine drama meets lush rainforest, and where raw nature, deep stories, and unexpected access come together – the perfect setting for an unforgettable walk on ice.
We reached the glacier by helicopter, after being fully equipped by the tour operator with proper clothing, sturdy boots, and crampons. When we arrived at the base at the scheduled time, we quickly learned that this wasn’t yet the time to fly. First, despite already wearing decent outdoor gear, we were taken to a changing room and given full equipment – waterproof pants, jackets, gloves, boots, and crampons. As you’ll see in the photos, everyone looked pretty similar – the gear was clearly standard issue, and very effective. It was designed to keep you dry even if you stepped in glacier meltwater, which turned out to be very useful. We were also asked to leave most of our personal belongings in lockers and only take essentials, packed into small waterproof bags provided by the staff. Then came the helicopter part. Before boarding, we were all weighed and seated accordingly – the pilot arranged us inside based on weight distribution to keep the helicopter balanced. My lucky break? I got the seat next to the pilot, which means I also got some great window shots of the glacier as we flew in. You’ll see those just below.
At first, I thought the glacier walk would be just that – a simple walk with plenty of photo opportunities. The surface where we landed looked fairly flat, and the surrounding slopes didn’t seem too steep. The crampons strapped to our boots made walking on the ice surprisingly easy. But I soon realized that the entire experience was carefully planned. After about an hour of easy strolling, we approached some ice formations that, from a distance, didn’t appear very high – but in reality, they were massive. That’s when it became clear there were more guides on the glacier than just the one who had accompanied us from the start. While we were walking on the flat surface, the other guides had been busy preparing our route across to the other side of the mountain – digging ice stairs into the steeper sections and selecting narrow ice crevasses we’d actually have to climb into. Some professional climbing gear came into play, and suddenly it wasn’t just a walk anymore. At one point, I even got wedged between two icy walls. Luckily, we had three fantastic guides with us – kind, supportive, and keeping the mood light. Lady, I’m not helping you, one of them joked as he steadied me on a tricky descent, I just wanted to hold your hand.
The whole time, we felt completely alone on the glacier – or at least that was the impression. Only if you looked far across to the other side of the slope, really far, you might have spotted a few tiny red dots moving in the distance. Honestly, I only noticed them after I saw a very small helicopter landing on that part of the mountain. Below are the photos I took during our glacier flight and walk, shown exactly in the same order in which I took them.
In New Zealand, the outdoor industry is more than just adventure – it’s a well-structured system built around safety, flexibility, and respect for nature. Any company offering outdoor activities – whether it’s heli-hiking, speed boating, bungee jumping, kayaking, or trekking – has to be officially registered, meet strict safety standards, and go through regular audits. Oversight comes from national agencies like WorkSafe NZ, the Civil Aviation Authority, or Maritime NZ, depending on the type of activity. Operators are required to assess risks, react to changing weather, and make sure everyone has a great experience without compromising safety. What happened to us – having to cancel a trip due to avalanche damage and immediately being offered a well-organized alternative – isn’t unusual. That kind of flexibility is part of the system. Another thing that makes a big difference is that most activities are run in small groups, and access to popular areas is often limited. That’s why even well-known spots don’t feel crowded, and you still get that feeling of being close to nature. Local communities are also closely involved, and many activities operate in cooperation with the Department of Conservation, which manages access to protected areas. All of this means that outdoor adventures in New Zealand aren’t just beautiful and exciting – they’re also remarkably well-managed, with a strong focus on safety, comfort, and responsibility.
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