News

What to Do When It Rains in Franz Josef If you’re visiting Franz Josef Glacier and the rain starts to fall — good news, you’re in exactly the right place. Rain is part of the magic here on the West Coast. With over 200 days of rainfall each year, the lush rainforest,...

Our First Day Planting – The Wilderness Tours Regeneration Project We’ve officially kicked off our first planting day as part of the Wilderness Tours Regeneration Project, and what a day it was. Sunshine, clear skies, a glacial backdrop and our team from Franz Josef...

West Coast Birdlife: Meet the Kea New Zealand’s West Coast is world-famous for its glaciers, wild rainforests and moody coastlines. It’s also home to some of New Zealand's most remarkable native birds. One of the most charismatic? The kea. Kea are called the clown of...

White Heron Encounters on Lake Mapourika The White Heron (or Kotuku in Maori) is one of New Zealand’s most iconic and revered birds. With its elegant white plumage and regal posture, it has long been a symbol of beauty and rarity in Māori culture. While White Herons...

"FAQ: What’s it like out here in Autumn?" Autumn is one of our favourite seasons here on the West Coast of New Zealand.  A particularly calm and settled time of year, as the summer heat cools off and daylight starts to shorten.  Nestled between the Southern Alps and...

Winter embraces the West Coast with open arms, unveiling a picturesque landscape adorned with snow-capped mountains and lush green forests. During the winter months, Franz Josef Glacier township offers a cozy retreat with mild temperatures ranging from 5°C to 15°C...

One of our favourite stories is the story of a Maori princess Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere and her lover Wawe... Venturing into the captivating realm of Franz Josef Glacier unveils not only the majestic beauty of nature but also the rich tapestry of Maori legends and...

Long Finned Eels in Lake Mapourika Nestled on the breath-taking West Coast of New Zealand's South Island lies the captivating Lake Mapourika, home to an ancient and mysterious creature—the long-finned eel. Known for their remarkable resilience and unique life cycle,...

Discovering Tui on the West Coast of New Zealand: Franz Josef Glacier Nestled amidst the lush rainforests of the West Coast New Zealand, the Franz Josef Glacier area is a haven for Tui enthusiasts. One of the most enchanting residents of this region is the Tui...

White Heron, also known as Kotuku are frequent visitors to Lake Mapourika.  Lake Mapourika, a sanctuary for these elegant and rare birds, making it one of the privileged few locations in New Zealand where they can be observed in their natural habitat.   Lake Mapourika...

The last couple of months have been a mixture of warm summer heat, rain, and even a couple of cyclones!  We're lucky to be one of the few company's in Franz Josef Glacier that can operate in wet weather conditions.  So this weeks blog is devoted to those drizzly days...

What a spring we've had!  Sunshine and epic high pressure prevailed during the month of November.  We usually experience a lot of rain and wind during spring.  Although this season we've experienced the opposite which left Franz Josef Glacier in an untimely drought!...

Is this your first time kayaking? Are you concerned that you might fall in? or are you just running short on time on your action packed New Zealand adventure? Then we have the perfect tour for you!   Our Kayak Discovery tour starts off by meeting our friendly and...

We have been having some amazing views from the Lake Mapourika lately and people are always interested in what Mountains and Glaciers they are actually seeing. Did you know that there are over 300 Glaciers in the South Westland, Tai Poutini National park and more than...

We have been having some absolutely stunning days out on Lake Mapourika so far this Winter! Although we are still waiting for a solid dusting of snow on the Mountains to really create the truly magnificent backdrop! It's the perfect time for any keen photographers to...

That time of year has come (and gone) when we have to farewell our crew from the hectic Summer season! Our latest to leave, Zak, has really left an impression on everyone from clients to work mates and I'm sure he will be remembered for years to come! (he is only...

The annual South Westland Triathlon was on recently and the day turned out to be a cracker!  We volunteered to sit at one of buoys for the morning as a safety boat. There were some solid entrees this year but most of all everyone had a good time and got into the...

The annual South Westland Triathlon was on recently and the day turned out to be a cracker! There were some solid entrees this year but most of all everyone had a good time and got into the spirit of things with teams getting dressed up including 3 corporate teams...

The last week has been some of the best paddling of the season.  Even though the days have been cloudy, there has been no wind leaving the Lake calm and reflective all day long. Some of the best things about the clouds, and the shorter days are the amazing Sunset's...

After a couple of drizzly days are now behind us and we're back to a fine looking week ahead! The weather has been amazing this month... calm and settled, and the lake temps have risen to 22° C!  That's a pretty comfortable swimming temperature if you ask us, and...

We've been experiencing some very warm, sunny weather lately which makes us think that maybe summer has finally come to the West Coast!  We've all been busy enjoying the sun, and for our seasonal guides they've been enjoying some of the nicest weather to date.  Blue...

Last week on a drizzly evening Fishing Charter, Dale had a lucky strike with his crew from China and they landed our first sea-run Quinnat Salmon of the season!  Luckily the BBQ was pre-booked and ready to go for some of the freshest salmon steaks you can imagine!...