Te Ara a Waiau Walkway/Cycleway

Dogs No Dogs

This is a flat and easy path with good footing. It can be busy on the weekends and during the summer.

This multi-use track starts on the right side of the road just outside the Westland Tai Poutini National Park Visitor Center. The trail, which is wide and well-marked, runs alongside the Franz Josef Glacier Access Road.

You'll eventually come to a Rata grove, and the track transitions from a paved path to packed gravel. Cross the road and continue through the forest paralleling the road.

Shortly after crossing the road, you'll come to a junction with the Lake Wombat Track, and you can catch glimpses of the glacial valley and the surrounding mountains through the trees. The track ends at the main Franz Josef Glacier parking lot where you can continue onto the Franz Josef Glacier Valley Track to get an up-close look at the glacier.