The Franz Josef Glacier is one of the few glaciers in the world that is not receding having shifted down the valley in the last 30 odd years. That said as you drive up to car park you pass a sign which says the Glacier was here in 1750ish which is a pretty impressive stat as it was a long long way from where the glacier is now. We were able to walk up to the face of the glacier, or as close as the barriers, and get a good look at the mass of ice. We then clambered up to a look out point to get a different view of the glacier before continuing further south towards Fox Glacier.