An assessment of aircraft noise impact on visitors to glaciers of the west coast of New Zealand's South Island is described. Methodology was developed for assessing visitor satisfaction with the noise environment in the vicinity of the Fox Glacier and the Franz Josef Glacier. Results of the assessment are discussed and correlated with actual aircraft activity. Visitor annoyance with aircraft noise was found to increase rapidly after a threshold of 15-16 aircraft overflights per hour was exceeded. (C) 1999 Institute of Noise Control Engineering. [S0736-2501(99)00303-3].