Tdiddy12

Driving from Punakaiki to the Glaciers. Will spend a day and a half before going to Wanaka. Any ideas of which Glacier is best. Won't be doing long treks, looking for a two hour tour. Nothing fancy, helicopter etc!

Diamantina

Do you mean which village is better to stay in, which offers the best walks and other activities, or which glacier is more attractive?

I've only done the ice walk on Franz Josef. I've walk to the terminal face of Fox, but that was years ago and I don't know how much it has retreated since then. Walking on the glacier was such fun, and the experience of walking through walls of bluish ice was wondrous. If you're just going to be looking up at the glacier, I don't think it matters which you choose.

In terms of which village to stay in, Franz Josef has more choices of accommodation, shops and restaurants. They also have the Glacier Hot Pools:
https://www.glacierhotpools.co.nz/
And the West Coast Wildlife Centre:
http://www.wildkiwi.co.nz/
It's close to the coastal settlement of Okarito and its lagoon:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec.../okarito-area/
And Okarito Forest, where you can go on a night tour to spot wild kiwis (the rarest of them all, the Rowi):
http://okaritokiwitours.co.nz/

You can walk to Peter's Pool (super-easy walk, beautiful view):
http://www.doc.govt.nz/peters-pool-walk
Do the Forest Walk to Glacier View walk, then continue along the Franz Josef Glacier Valley Walk (but first check on its condition with the DOC office in Franz Josef village: 69 Cron St., Franz Josef).
There are glow worms to be seen for free on the Terrace Walk. I planned doing this but fell asleep.
Here's a link to the DOC glacier region walks brochure (covers the whole region):
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/par...gion-walks.pdf

I also find Franz Josef village more attractive than Fox. It's surrounded by temperate rainforests.

Fox village is close to the Lake Matheson walk. But if staying in Franz Josef, you can detour to Lake Matheson enroute to Wanaka. Views are better early morning or late afternoon.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...matheson-walk/

Walking to views of Fox glacier (that is, if you decide to stay in Fox):
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...e-valley-walk/

Fox also has a glow worm walk, Minnehaha:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...innehaha-walk/

In Franz Josef, I've stayed at JAG Franz Josef Retreat. It's about a five minute drive from the village. I'd gladly stay there again:
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Hotel_...oast_Regi.html

I've also stayed at Rainforest Retreat (in their Tree Lodge), but I wouldn't stay there again, though our particular room was lovely and serene. Rainforest Retreat is walking distance to restaurants, hot pools, and West Coast Wildlife Centre, but it also offers backpacker and holiday park accommodation, so its public areas were a little too lively for my taste.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Hotel_...t_Region_.html

In Fox, I've stayed at High Peaks Hotel. Nice enough motel with shoe box size fridges that was barely cold.

Diamantina

Meant to write: "In Fox, I've stayed at High Peaks Hotel. Nice enough motel with a shoe box size fridge that was barely cold."