Day 11: Punakaiki → Franz Josef

2026-11-12 · Punakaiki → Franz Josef · 220 km

1 Pororari River Track 2 Hokitika 3 Hokitika Gorge 4 Franz Josef Glacier 5 Lake Matheson
  1. Pororari River Track walk Limestone-canyon river walk through nikau palm forest at Punakaiki, an easy jungle-like stroll.
  2. Hokitika town Historic West Coast greenstone town with pounamu galleries, a driftwood beach, and a glowworm dell.
  3. Hokitika Gorge viewpoint Unreal turquoise glacial water under a swing bridge, 33 km inland from Hokitika.
  4. Franz Josef Glacier sight A glacier tumbling through rainforest; valley walk to the viewpoint, or a heli-hike onto the ice.
  5. Lake Matheson walk A dark, tannin-stained lake near Fox Glacier whose mirror-still surface produces some of New Zealand's most famous reflections of Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, best at dawn on a calm day.

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