South Island Attractions

Venue: Fox Glacier & Lake Matheson    When: Daily

There are two particularly fabulous glaciers in New Zealand - Franz Joseph and Fox. However, Franz Joseph doesn't boast immediate proximity to one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, Lake Matheson, so Fox gets the top vote.

Take the pleasant uphill walk to the foot of the Fox Glacier, with helpful maps along the way, and watch how the landscape changes as you get further up this valley carved by frozen water. The glacier had been melting (and so retreating) infinitesimally every year for decades but since 1985 has begun advancing again: it has moved a kilometre since. But whichever direction it's going, it still looks pretty impressive, snaking down from its misty mountain top, a vast river of ice.

If you're willing to pay you can do more ambitious climbs up the glacier itself, or even be dropped by helicopter on top.

Back west a mile or so past Fox village is Lake Matheson, an exquisite small lake with a pleasant walk all the way round. The magic of Matheson is that on a still day, when the waters are quiet, it makes a perfect reflection of Mount Cook - the highest mountain in New Zealand - and Fox Glacier in its crystal clear waters. Breathtaking.