Lake Matheson / Te Ara Kairaumati

5 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Lake Matheson lies in lowland forest a short drive west of Fox Glacier township, about half an hour by car from Franz Josef. Its water is dark, stained by leaf material washed in from the surrounding forest, and on a still morning it holds a mirror image of Aoraki/Mount Cook, Mount Tasman and the main range of the Southern Alps. The walk around it is one of the easiest in the area, and much of it is suitable for families.

The loop and the jetty

DOC divides the walk into two parts. From the car park to the Jetty Lookout is 2.4 km there and back, about 45 minutes, and DOC lists it as a wheelchair-accessible short walk. The full Lake Matheson Circuit is a 4.4 km loop of about 1 hour 30 minutes, graded Easy to intermediate, through rainforest with viewing points over the water. Some guides quote a shorter loop length; the figures here are DOC's.

From the far side of the lake a track continues to Lake Gault, which Glacier Country lists at 8 km and about three hours.

Timing the reflections

DOC and Tourism New Zealand both name dawn and dusk as the best times, because the lake is usually calm then. Any breeze breaks the surface, and the peaks have to be clear of cloud as well, which on this wet coast is never certain. If the reflections matter to you, plan two mornings in Fox or Franz Josef and go on the clearer one.

The US Naval Observatory gives these sun times for the lake, calculated for a flat horizon. Around 21 December first light begins at about 5:20 am and the sun rises at about 5:55 am, setting at about 9:21 pm. Around 21 June first light comes at about 7:41 am, sunrise at about 8:13 am and sunset at about 5:10 pm. The ranges behind the lake and the forest around it mean the sun reaches the water later than these times. From September to April, SunSmart rates UV as damaging between 10 am and 4 pm, so an afternoon walk needs more sun protection than one at dawn.

Sandflies are common around the lake. Te Ara notes that they bite less when you keep moving and that DEET is the most effective repellent; for children, choose a product with less than 10 percent DEET.

A guided walk at the lake

Glacier Valley Eco Tours runs a four-hour nature tour to Lake Matheson. The guide drives you from the base in Franz Josef, about 30 minutes each way, or collects you in Fox Glacier township, and then walks the track around the lake with you. The operator recommends the early evening for the best chance of reflections. Hot drinks, biscuits, rain gear and walking poles are included, and a baby carrier for children under 3 can be requested. The tour runs in rain as well, so the lake may be grey.

Without a car, this is the simplest way to get to the lake from Franz Josef. With one, you can walk the loop yourself at dawn and pair it with the Fox Glacier South Side Walk later in the day. Our page on guided walks compares this tour with the valley walks at both glaciers.

On the way north from Queenstown

Lake Matheson is the last stop on a one-way small-group trip from Queenstown to Franz Josef. The day crosses the Crown Range and the Haast Pass, stops at the Blue Pools and Thunder Creek Falls, has lunch in Haast and reaches the lake late in the day before dropping you at your accommodation in Fox Glacier or Franz Josef. It takes about twelve hours, so you see the lake briefly rather than at the best hour.

Other viewpoints nearby

DOC names the Peak Viewpoint, about 9 km from Fox Glacier towards the coast, as a place for the sunset on a cloudless day. Glacier Country also lists walks of 500 m to 6.8 km at Gillespies Beach. Either makes sense on the evening you stay in Fox, with the lake at dawn the next day.