Fox Glacier TOP 10 Holiday Park & Motels

We stayed for just one night in February during a South Island road trip, so I can’t say much about the holiday park itself. The facilities were among the cheapest we found on the island and nothing fancy, but they were fine for a short stay. The part that left a bad impression was being stopped by police at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Cook Flat Road and Kerr Road intersection. I didn’t make a complete stop and was fined $150 and given 20 demerit points on my licence. Police had apparently been waiting there for hours. The road was empty, my car was the only one there, and the officer was waiting across the road, not in a police car. An hour later, I saw other drivers stopped for the same reason. It felt like a trap for tourists, and the incident ruined my road trip and left me with a very negative impression of Fox Glacier. I’ll never come back.

The comfortable bed, good kitchen, and convenient location were the bright spots. The rest of our stay in accessible two-bedroom unit 71 was a letdown compared with other Top 10 parks we’ve visited. The bathroom mirror was broken and held together with black tape, and two bulbs were missing, one in the bedroom and one from the bedside lamp. The shower drained so badly that we needed a squeegee to stop water flooding the floor. We also waited a long time to use the laundry because only one of the five washers worked. The outdoor chairs were uncomfortable, and the indoor ones weren’t much better.

It’s an easy 10-minute walk from the park to the village, so shops and places to eat are close by. The setting is lovely, with mountain views and plenty of greenery, and there’s a playground for children and a billiard table for relaxing in the evening. Shared spaces include a well-equipped kitchen, clean showers, free toilets, and a laundry room. Fox Glacier has activities like glacier hiking and scenic flights, which can add to a visit. It’s a very good base for exploring the area.

The views are great, and it’s hard to beat the location near Matheson Lake, the village, and the Fox Glacier lookout. We parked our caravan for the night and found clean bathrooms and tidy, welcoming common areas. The kitchen had the basics for washing up and was clean. The kids enjoyed the playground, especially the decent trampoline.