Tasman Glacier

The Tasman is about twenty-three kilometres long, the largest glacier in New Zealand, and the most striking thing about visiting it is what is not there. Its terminal lake, Tasman Lake, began forming only in the 1970s as the ice retreated and is now several kilometres long and growing - the glacier is losing length rapidly, and interpretation panels along the walks use dated photographs to show it. The lower glacier is covered in rock debris, so it looks like a grey moraine rather than ice, which surprises people expecting white. Two short walks from the road end: the Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier View track, about forty minutes return up moraine steps to a viewpoint over the lake and icebergs, and the Tasman Lake track down to the shore. Boat trips run among the icebergs from Mount Cook Village. Getting onto the ice itself requires a helicopter and a guide.

What you actually see

• The terminal lake - formed since the 1970s and still growing.
• The debris-covered ice - grey moraine rather than white glacier.
• The viewpoint - forty minutes up moraine steps from the road end.
• The icebergs - calved into the lake, reachable by boat.

When to go

October to April. The valley road is unsealed and rough. Boat trips need booking and run to conditions.

Honest expectations

You do not see clean white ice from the tracks - the lower glacier is under rock debris and many visitors find it underwhelming. Walking on the glacier requires a heli-guided trip. The moraine steps are steep and the wind funnels hard.

Nearby

The Hooker Valley Track is over the ridge; Mount Cook Village is eight kilometres away.