Franz Josef

Few places on New Zealand’s West Coast have a history as closely tied to glacier tourism as Franz Josef. The small township sits beneath the Southern Alps, close to Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere, one of the celebrated glaciers of Westland Tai Poutini National Park. Its Māori name, meaning “the tears of Hine Hukatere”, recalls a traditional story associated with the ice and mountains. Dense temperate rainforest surrounds the settlement, creating an unusual transition from lowland forest to alpine terrain. Franz Josef is also a practical base for learning about the region’s changing glaciers and exploring the wider national-park landscape. Browse other webcams across the West Coast to place Franz Josef’s glacier country in a wider geographic context.

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