Hike the Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand
The helicopter lifts above rainforest, crosses the glacier's broken lower reaches and sets down on a world of blue-white ice. Crampons bite as you follow the guide between ridges, crevasses and sculpted walls on KÄ Roimata o Hine Hukatere, the MÄori name for Franz Josef Glacier on New Zealand's South Island. The glacier descends from the Southern Alps towards temperate rainforest, creating an unusual meeting of ice and dense green forest. Its surface is always moving and changing. Guided routes are chosen on the day, and features seen on one trip may be altered or inaccessible after fresh movement, snowfall or rain. Walking on the glacier requires a specialist guided heli-hike; ordinary valley walks do not provide access to the ice. Book a reputable operator, check fitness and passenger restrictions and leave flexibility because cloud, wind or rain can cancel flying. Boots, crampons and protective outerwear are normally supplied. Preserve the existing verified Franz Josef Glacier location. Add this to your list for the rare transition from rainforest air to moving ice in a single flight.