My trip to New Zealand, as part of the Blog4NZ Project, was a whirlwind romance. I was there for only a week, yet I visited both the North and South Islands and was never in the same bed twice. I know it’s not the ideal way to explore the country, but I enjoyed almost every minute of it, especially the long drives.
I’m not normally a big fan of driving long distances, I’m a fairly impatient person and just want the process of getting there to be over as quickly as possible. New Zealand was different though and I started to look forward to the drives across long stretches of gorgeous scenery. That’s how I discovered Lake Matheson.
The Lake hike was actually the recommendation of an employee at Glacier Helicopters, the fine folks who took me on an exhilarating trip around and on the Franz Josef Glacier. As I was leaving, the Kiwi scenery expert pulled out a map and said, “Well you just have to stop here, it’s stunning.”
At first I was dismissive, everything in New Zealand is stunning and there wasn’t enough time to keep stopping to admire whatever the next example of heart stopping beauty happened to be around the next bend. I looked at my schedule though and decided that I had enough time and went for it.
I left the tiny hamlet of Franz Josef on the mountain road, navigating hairpin turns, one-way bridges and countless signs warning me of ice and grit. It was winter in New Zealand, and the weather could turn on a dime. So far I had been lucky though, unusually clear skies had accompanied me along the coast of the South Island. After thirty minutes, I arrived at Fox Glacier Town, home to the Lake Matheson conservation park, part of the South West New Zealand UNESCO World Heritage Area.

Just as a side note, my unscientific and not at all researched opinion is that New Zealand has done a great job with their national park system and conservation efforts in general. Granted, I was in areas of “high beauty” that lends itself to protection, but I was really pleased to see all of the signs designating even the smallest bit of land as protected.
Lake Matheson sits in the middle of farmland, cows and sheep mindlessly chomping away at blades of grass, not aware of their participation in what is arguably one of the most stunning views in the country. That view of the twin peaks of Mount Cook/Aoraki and Mount Tasman filled my rear-view mirror as I pulled into the parking lot.
The goal of the hike at Lake Matheson is simple, to get to the spot across the lake home to one of the most photographed, iconic views in New Zealand: Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman reflected perfectly in the waters of the still lake. I’m not a professional photographer by any stretch of the imagination, but I knew this was a photo I just had to take.
I was surprised at how much infrastructure was at the park itself. There’s a car park, restaurant and decent little souvenir shop selling crafts and artwork. More importantly, the hike around the late is well marked and easy to navigate. The sign at the entrance said the entire loop around the lake takes the average person around 90 minutes. I glanced at my watch and started trekking.
This area of New Zealand has a bizarre combination of topography and even climates. Looming high above are the Southern Alps, with their glaciers and ice, yet surrounding me on the hike was a lush, green forest covered with primordial ferns and mosses. These extremes rarely coexist, the only other place in the world is in Argentina. The rich canopy of flora created a sense of adventure and mystery as I meandered around the trail.
My schedule demanded I arrive in Wanaka by early evening, and given how slow I was driving on the gritty mountain roads, I knew I didn’t want to waste a lot of time along the way. So I nearly sprinted along the path, desperate to get to the point with The View. In typical, unassuming Kiwi manner, the ‘perfect’ spot for reflection photos is at a location the park has designated as “The View of Views.”
Finally, I arrived and indeed, the views were amazing. The mountains were directly in front of me, reflected perfectly in the waters below. Or least they would have been perfectly reflected had it not been for a few ducks in the middle of the lake. I couldn’t believe it, I had hiked 45 minutes to reach this spot, had another 45 minutes left and had added a lot of time to my day all to have it ruined by a quacking avian.
I took some photos, not totally satisfied with them and left the perch, a little dejected. About ten minutes later along the path was another sign pointing towards a dock mid-lake that was simply called Reflection Island. Hoping it didn’t mean personal introspection, I took my chances on the island.
Because of its position well past the ducks, I was given a second chance and this time it was perfect. I couldn’t believe it, THIS was the View of Views, I took dozens of photos, not wanting to screw up the opportunity, allowed some time to admire the landscape without a viewfinder and continued on the path.

The mountain roads did in fact take longer than I expected, as did my nearly constant stopping in order to record dozens of amazing vistas along the way. The drive from Franz Josef to Wanaka is one of the most amazing I’ve ever driven, but it was that stop at Lake Matheson, to get The Picture, that was the highlight of the day.
WOW. Lake Matheson looked nothing like that the day I was there. But now I understand it’s appeal. Those last two photos are simply stunning!!!
Thanks! You didn’t like the duck photo? :)
Those are cute ducks! ;-)
The drive from the West Coast to Wanaka is not so long in distance (relatively speaking) but there are so many places to stop and admire. We drove it the other way round, and stopped at so many spots we arrived late to the West Coast and couldn’t go to Lake Matheson. This photo made me decide it is a must stop on our next trip.
You guys Rock! Thank you for Shring this info! That place is Awesome! we will certainly be visiting soon! Cheers form Chile!!!!
Great shots! You’re providing a nice preview of what I’d like to see next (southern) winter – well, depending on the availability of sun.
Wonderful shot!!! Very inspiring and uplifting. If only we can get shots like that….well done!
Thanks for your post Matt! I’m leaving for NZ in less than a month and have been trying to find where exactly on the track is the best spot to take The Picture. Truly appreciate the details! And like you, will be doing both North and South islands in a week. :) What time were you at Lake Matheson? Looks like you hit it at just the perfect time. Thanks!!
Time of day or year? Time of day was mid-morning I believe. I left Franz Josef probably earlyish and stopped by for The Picture :)
Hi Matt,
I will be visiting NZ and come across your blog. May I know what time of the day did you take those photos of Lake Matherson ? May I know if I stay at the town/village centre, how much time will it takes for me to do the entire hike and return ? I understand the Lake is at least 6 to 7 km away. I have only the morning in FG and need to catch the coach by 1300. Do you think I have enough time to do it ? Will I be near to the glacier face if I do this hike ? My trip is in mid-winter, will the views be good ? Thank you.
Wow, lots of questions and you may be better off asking someone in NZ. But I did the hike in a couple of hours as I drove from Franz Josef to Wanaka. I was there early in the morning and it was early winter. And yes, the glacier face is just a few miles up the road. Have fun!
Thank-you Matt for the great information. I have added this walk to our trip itinerary for 2017. We have spots like this in the Canadian Rockies but one must know the spots. Appreciate your efforts in posting this.
Thanks, heaps for sharing the amazing pictures and information about the beautiful places in South Island NZ.