Town and Around at Franz Josef

Our drive today from our camp at Jacobs River (of mirrored ceiling fame) can only be described as “breath taking” winding through the West Coast rain forest.  We are staying for a few nights at the NZMCA park just a 10 minute stroll from the township of Franz Josef, a nice roomy stopover ringed with native bush.

Plenty of room at the camp tonight

It was just a lazy day today, checking out the town of Franz Josef – we will be checking out glaciers tomorrow.  This is quite a pretty little place, full of tourists, hotels, backpacker accommodation, restaurants and cafes, plus the usual businesses offering helicopter rides and the like to those with plenty of dollars in their wallets.  Just look at the view down the main street.

Looking down the main street of  Franz Josef

In the 20 years or so since our last visit, the town has changed considerably, and now sports a large Information Centre – it needs to be roomy to cater for the number of tourists travelling through the town. We read some of the information about the formation of the glaciers, and why the weather is so wet on this side of the mountains, and much drier on the eastern side.

Rainfall – Franz Josef is the tallest measure

According to Maori legend, related the formation a young maiden called Hine Huatere often persuaded her lover Wawe to accompany her up into the hills.  One day Wawe slipped and plunged to his death.  Hine Huatere was heartbroken, and as she cried to lament her loss, her tears froze and formed the Franz Josef Glacier, Ka Roimata a Hine Hukatere.

Picture showing how the glacier has retreated

Behind the Info Centre is a historic tramping hut, moved down from it’s original spot on the mountain  when it was replaced with a newer version.  Built in the early 1900s, no doubt it gave shelter to many a cold a weary tramper on their way across the mountains.

Defiance Hut

Inside the hut

There may well be plenty of flashy new buildings, but we found two little old churches at the end of the town, both lovely in their own way.  The pretty little timber church is “Our Lady of the Alps Catholic Church”.

  Our Lady of the Alps

The St James historic church is built in a black and white Tudor style, and the foundation stone was laid in 1931 by the Governor General at the time, the Right Hon Baron Bledisloe.  Years ago, the glacier could be seen through the  windows over the Alter of the church, but it has receded so much that it can no longer be seen.

St James Anglican Church

From the Church grounds we looked over towards the “Bailey” bridge that spans the river. This bridge was put in place after the original was washed away during a snow melt.

The Bailey Bridge spans the river to Franz Josef