OUR STORY

Franz Josef Wilderness Tours is a locally owned and operated family business on the South Island’s West Coast. Delivering warm customer service and quality wilderness experiences is at the heart of every tour we offer.

Bronwyn and Dale have grown Franz Josef Wilderness Tours, formerly Glacier Country Kayaks and Glacier Country Lake Tours, into the well recognised business it is today.  Bronwyn, originally from Canada, has been kayaking for many years, including multi week trips around Vancouver Island. Dale has worked as an outdoor guide for over 20 years, including six years as a Glacier Guide with Franz Josef Glacier Guides and seasons kayak guiding in Canada and Stewart Island.  Dale has spent his life in the outdoors in New Zealand and is a qualified Maritime NZ Skipper. As one of our lead guides, you might find him paddling, fishing, cruising on the water or sharing stories with guests most days.

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safety

Safety is our top priority and one of our core company values. From a team member’s first day through to ongoing training and annual audits, safety guides everything we do.  AdventureMark independently audits our off-road tours, kayak tours and paddleboards.  These activities hold the highly recognised AdventureMark certification. Maritime NZ regulates our boat operations through the MOSS framework, ensuring we meet strict maritime safety standards. Together, these systems support the training, procedures and high standards our team follows every day, so you can relax knowing you’re in good hands.

Here are our activities listed on the New Zealand Adventure Activities Register:

• Adventure Activity Register: Kayaking Open Water
• Adventure Activity Register: ATV Tours – Quad Bikes
• Adventure Activity Register: Paddleboarding Open Water

We are also proud to hold Qualmark Gold, recognising our commitment to quality, customer service and environmental sustainability. Operating within Westland Tai Poutini National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage area, we believe it is our responsibility to care for the environment we are privileged to work in.

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Sustainability

Operating within the South Westland UNESCO World Heritage Area and Westland Tai Poutini National Park comes with a responsibility. We care deeply about this place because it is not only where we work, but also where we live, raise our families and spend our time outdoors. Sustainability is a core part of who we are.

We actively measure and reduce our emissions through our Ekos Net Carbon Zero certification. In addition, we support local conservation initiatives and invest in our own Wilderness Tours Regeneration Project. Together, these efforts help us work towards leaving more than we take.

As concessionaires a portion of every tour helps support the Department of Conservation. We also partner with Zero Invasive Predators to help protect native wildlife on the West Coast. Since healthy ecosystems support both wildlife and tourism, we believe everyone has a role to play.

We’re proud of how far we’ve come. However, we’re even more excited about what lies ahead. To learn more about our sustainability journey and the projects we’re involved in, visit our Sustainability page: