Robert's Point, Franz Josef Glacier

The Robert’s Point track is the ONLY day-walking track, at either FJ or Fox Glacier, which delivers you to a viewpoint above the ice fields. Robert’s Pt itself is a rock knob about 400m above the valley floor, directly across from 800m waterfall stair-stepping its wispy way down to the ice field. The track is rough, rocky and steep—superb for fit trampers in fine weather, but maybe best to avoid it in wet weather. The track itself packs plenty of interests, including heaps of swingbridges and the century-old Hendes Hut (look for 1913 signatures on the hut’s tin walls!) Additionally, just past the hut is one of most unique track-engineering feats on the South Island. This so-called “Hendes Galley” is a 50-meter steep, suspended planked semi-stairway bolted against the cliff face high above the valley floor— definitely no place for those with fear of heights! 100 years ago you went down this galley-way directly onto the glacier, but now the glacier has retreated another 2km up the valley.

Reaching Robert’s Pt you’ll find a picnic table and a somewhat obscured view directly down onto the glacial face—a view only the helicopters otherwise get. All the jagged glory of Franz Josef Glacier wrinkles below in white-blue-black majesty. If you want an even better view for all the effort it took to reach this point, then be sure to pick your way down a bit from the picnic table and then to the right where you’ll finally come out onto an open rock slope that sports excellent downvalley views all the way to Lake Mapourika and the Tasman Sea—wow! You’ll also see heaps of glacierwalkers marching like ants on the ice field below… and of course the view across the glacier to the stupendous waterfall is unmatched. If you want a strenuous tramp in the glaciers region that delivers good bang-for-the- buck and gets you away from the tourist mob, then Robert’s Pt it is!!

TRAMP: Expect a strenuous true tramping track with lots of wet roots, rocks, and swingbridges. The track is marked the entire way with no junctions or options. It’s 10 min to the first bridge, then 20 more drops you back to the valley floor via steps. Now the real climbing begins…20 minutes to Hendes Hut, then a nonstop 50-minute ascent to the Point. All along the way there are plenty of stream-crossing splash spots.