When a helicopter passes overhead, taking another group on a scenic flight further up the valley, everyone stops to stare. That noise would have been constant this time last year, as thousands of mainly overseas visitors were ferried from base to ice and back again.
JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/Stuff
The ice in the deep crevasses shines blue, but it looks white on the surface. The whole town would have been booked out with visitors, the car park down in the valley straining with bright rented camper vans and tour buses. On New Year’s Day in 2020, a record 7137 people visited the valley, according to Department of Conservation track counter data.
Fox Glacier Top 10 Holiday Park owner Steve Edwards says the West Coast glacier towns have had a tough five years.
The Government has been accused of passing the buck to Development West Coast (DWC) and not helping struggling tourism businesses in South Westland. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash met with business owners in Franz Josef Glacier on Tuesday to tell them the Government could not save every business, but was working on a support package to help them until the borders reopened. Nash said he had hoped Development West Coast (DWC) could release 10 per cent of its almost $128 million fund to help businesses get through the Covid-19 pandemic, but the trustees agreed to release only $5m.
A visitor explores Franz Josef Glacier. “To spend money coming here to tell us nothing it’s ridiculous. We need help to keep our staff on and to be able to pay our rates and insurance,” she said. Tunnah said the offer of $5000 worth of advice through the $10 million Regional Business Partners network would not help cover her overheads. “We are asking help to survive,” she said.
Tourism and Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash says the Government can not save every struggling tourism business. “I paid $6 million just in wages here in Franz and $1m in PAYE. Why wouldn’t they want to support us to get our doors open. They just don’t get it,” she said.