Walking on Ice
The best way to see, enjoy and understand a glacier is to hike on it. I had walked on the Perito Moreno in Argentina and Grey in Chile, so I was happy to walk on the most famous glacier in New Zealand, Franz Josef, whose funny name comes from the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, as the first European ve explored it was Julius Haast. Of course, he was Austrian. You must do it with a professional guide, because dangers on a glacier are very high. There are half day hikes, which last about 4 hours, as well as full day hikes, which last 8 hours. I did the first hike because the weather wasn't great, but I recommend the latter, since in 4 hours maximum you will want to leave the ice, as they reach the glacier takes an hour's walk, about 20 minutes by a forest trail, and the rest by the bed of rocks carried by ice, while the full day spend six hours on the glacier and climb much more high.
