As the closest motel to Franz Josef Glacier - it wont take you long to find the formiddable Franz Josef Glacier!

The glacier is on the West Coast on the same latitude as Christchurch.

Average travelling time from Christchurch or Queenstown to the south is five hours direct. Franz Josef township is on the Glacier Highway half way between Hokitika and Haast. Although Franz Josef is situated beneath the back drop of the Southern Alps, at an altitude of 160 meters above sea level, it is too warm to snow in town.

Temperatures throughout the year are not extreme. There is an average rainfall of 5 metres a year and most falls in the spring and early summer months. Franz Josef township has fewer rain days than Auckland in the north or Invercargil in the south. The Tasman Sea to the west is only 5 km away as the crow flies.