Franz Josef / Waiau

Franz Josef / Waiau
Village
Franz Josef (middle left), next to the Waiho River, as seen from Alex Knob
Coordinates: 43°23′17″S 170°10′55″E / 43.38806°S 170.18194°E / -43.38806; 170.18194
Country	New Zealand
Region	West Coast
District	Westland District
Ward	Southern
Electorates	West Coast-Tasman Te Tai Tonga
Government
• Territorial Authority	Westland District Council
• Regional council	West Coast Regional Council
• Mayor of Westland	Helen Lash
• West Coast-Tasman MP	Maureen Pugh
• Te Tai Tonga MP	Tākuta Ferris
Area [1]
• Total	5.31 km2 (2.05 sq mi)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Total	550
• Density	100/km2 (270/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode	7886
Area code	03
Local iwi	Ngāi Tahu

Franz Josef (officially Franz Josef / Waiau) is a small town in the West Coast region of the South Island of New Zealand. Whataroa is 32 kilometres (20 mi) to the north-east, and the township of Fox Glacier is 23 kilometres (14 mi) to the south-west. The Waiho River runs from the Franz Josef Glacier to the south, through the town, and into the Tasman Sea to the north-west.^[3][4]

Local Māori called the area Waiau, which means swirling waters.^[5] In the 1860s Sir Julius von Haast named the Franz Josef Glacier in honour of the Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph I of Austria.^[6] The town Franz Josef was then named after the glacier.

Following the passage of the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998, the name of the town was officially altered to Franz Josef / Waiau.^[7]

The bed of the Waiho River (also spelled Waiau) has significantly risen over the years, and increased rainfall and snow melt from the retreating glacier has caused the river's water flow to vary greatly. The riverbed is currently predicted to rise 2 m every 10 years, and in 30 years will be higher than the town itself.^[8][9] A flood in February 2016 caused $30 million of damage.^[9] In a severe rain storm on 26 March 2019, 400 millimetres (16 in) of rain fell and the bridge over the Waiho, the only road connection to south Westland, was destroyed.^[10] The town was flooded and hundreds were evacuated. The bridge and one abutment was rebuilt and the road link reopened after 18 days at a cost of NZ$6m.^[11]

Flood protection was deemed a priority for the township of Franz Josef, and a $24m package was approved by the Government in July 2020, as part of the COVID-19 economic stimulus package.^[12] The work included $18m for rock embankments on the north and south banks, and $3.8m to raise the level of the highway bridge. The work had not begun as of January 2021, leading to criticism from National MP Maureen Pugh and Regional Council head Allan Birchfield.^[12][13] MP Damien O'Connor said "piling more rocks around the river" was not a long-term solution.^[14]

One proposal made in a 2017 report was to remove embankments on the river's southern bank, allowing it to widen and flood several thousand hectares of farmland. This would affect 82 people and 40 properties, who would need compensation by central government.^[9] In September 2021, $400,000 of emergency work was approved on the southern bank stopbank.^[15]

Another proposal for the future of Franz Josef is to relocate the entire town away from the flood danger and the alpine fault to the shore of Lake Mapourika, 10 km north of the town.^[8][9] The estimated cost for this is $300–$600 million, or as high as $1 billion.^[16][17][9]

Franz Josef is defined by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement and covers 5.31 km² (2.05 sq mi).^[1] It had an estimated population of 550 as of June 2024,^[2] with a population density of 104 inhabitants per square kilometre (270/sq mi). The settlement is part of the larger Westland Glaciers-Bruce Bay statistical area.^[18]

Franz Josef had a population of 483 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 153 people (46.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 180 people (59.4%) since the 2006 census. There were 195 households, comprising 243 males and 237 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.03 males per female, with 48 people (9.9%) aged under 15 years, 216 (44.7%) aged 15 to 29, 213 (44.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 6 (1.2%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 60.2% European/Pākehā, 7.5% Māori, 7.5% Pasifika, 23.6% Asian, and 6.2% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 54.0% had no religion, 31.7% were Christian, 6.2% were Hindu, 0.6% were Muslim, and 2.5% were Buddhist.

Of those at least 15 years old, 117 (26.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 39 (9.0%) people had no formal qualifications. 24 people (5.5%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 381 (87.6%) people were employed full-time, 21 (4.8%) were part-time, and 3 (0.7%) were unemployed.^[19]

Although Franz Josef has only 330 local ratepayers, it regularly received 600,000 tourist visitors a year until the COVID-19 epidemic restricted travel to New Zealand.^[9]

Westland Glaciers-Bruce Bay, which also includes Fox Glacier, covers 3,057.44 km² (1,180.48 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 1,190 as of June 2024,^[20] with a population density of 0.39 inhabitants per square kilometre (1.0/sq mi).

Westland Glaciers-Bruce Bay had a population of 1,074 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 198 people (22.6%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 111 people (11.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 477 households, comprising 549 males and 528 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.04 males per female. The median age was 31.3 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 111 people (10.3%) aged under 15 years, 378 (35.2%) aged 15 to 29, 525 (48.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 57 (5.3%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 69.6% European/Pākehā, 7.5% Māori, 4.7% Pasifika, 17.0% Asian, and 6.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 48.0, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.1% had no religion, 33.0% were Christian, 0.3% had Māori religious beliefs, 3.9% were Hindu, 0.3% were Muslim, 2.0% were Buddhist and 1.7% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 222 (23.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 102 (10.6%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $33,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. 75 people (7.8%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 792 (82.2%) people were employed full-time, 69 (7.2%) were part-time, and 12 (1.2%) were unemployed.^[21]

The glacier's terminal face is 5 kilometres (3 mi) from the town and its accessibility makes it a major tourist attraction and the reason many people visit Franz Josef. The town is within the Westland Tai Poutini National Park.

State Highway 6 running through Franz Josef

Franz Josef offers many accommodation options for the up to 2,000 people staying overnight during the main season, ranging from hotels and motels to holiday houses, camping sites and backpacker accommodation. Other amenities include a petrol station, small but busy heliport and a number of restaurants and shops.^[22] The village is connected to the Franz Josef Glacier valley via walking tracks and a small sealed road leading into the valley from the highway just south of the village.

Franz Josef village is also home to the West Coast Wildlife Centre, a public/private partnership with the Department of Conservation and local iwi, dedicated to the hatching and incubation of the world's two rarest species of kiwi, the rowi and Haast tokoeka. The centre is open from 8.30am daily and offers a 24-hour general pass as well as VIP guided backstage pass tours for behind-the-scenes tours of its kiwi hatching and rearing facilities.^[23]

St James Church is a small Anglican church in a bush setting overlooking the Waiho River to the south of Franz Josef township, within the Ross and South Westland Parish.^[24] Opened in 1931, the church is notable for its use of clear glass windows behind the altar giving views of the river, mountains and bush beyond. At times during the church's history, Franz Josef Glacier has been visible through the altar window. St James Church was designated as a category 1 historic place by Heritage New Zealand in 1990.^[25]

Our Lady of the Alps is a small Catholic church next to State Highway 6 on the southern fringe of Franz Josef, within the South Westland parish of Our Lady of the Woods.^[26] The church was dedicated, blessed and opened on 23 December 1951. It is similar in style to Swiss mountain churches with a steeply pitched roof to shed snow, and has prominent buttresses. The porch includes two St Bernard stained-glass windows, one depicting a coil of rope with an ice pick and ski pole crossed, and the other crossed skis and a shield with a flask of brandy and a loaf of bread.^[27]

Mass is held at Our Lady of the Alps weekly, on the first and third Sundays and second fourth and fifth Saturdays of each month.^[26]

State Highway 6 passes through the town.

Westpower owns and operates the local distribution network in Franz Josef. Electricity is supplied from the national grid at Hokitika via Westpower's 146-kilometre-long (91 mi) 33 kV line from Hokitika to Fox Glacier.^[28]: 115 Manawa Energy owns the 3 MW Wahapo hydroelectric power station, 20 km (12 mi) north of the town. This station can operate islanded and supply the town if the grid supply is lost.^[29][30]

The Westland District Council owns and operates reticulated water and wastewater systems in the town.^[31][32]

Franz Josef Glacier School is a coeducational full primary (year 1–8) school with a roll of 48 students as of August 2024.^[33] The nearest secondary school is South Westland Area School, 62 km (39 mi) away in Hari Hari.

The school roll has fluctuated between 12 and 57, and is largely driven by families moving to or from Franz Josef to work in tourism. In 2002 the roll was 45, dropping to 12 in 2012, increasing to 51 in 2018, and dropping to 34 in 2022 as tourism businesses closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The school has twice been reduced to a single teacher when student numbers have dropped below 25.^[34]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Franz Josef / Waiau.

• Franz Josef travel guide from Wikivoyage