Franz Josef and her sister Fox glacier, support small but vibrant tourist townships at their feet.
In summer the visiting population parachutes in the blue skies, kayaks the turquoise gorges and rides, bikes and hikes the green valleys. In winter they ski.
We visited the glaciers which are dramatically obscured by folds in the mountainous terrain until the closing stretch of a pleasant walk. They have advanced and retreated countless times over the eons and are both currently in a state of forward motion. Like molasses, they roll slowly down the gorges, fed by snow that falls at the top. Amongst the fastest moving glaciers in the world, they can achieve 5m per day. A crashed aircraft that was enveloped in the ice in 1941, 7 miles from the terminal face, was ejected onto the forward boulder field a mere 6 years later.
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| It Does What It Says On The Tin. |
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| Approaching Franz Josef Glacier. |
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| A River Flows From An Ice Cave At The Foot Of The Glacier. |
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| The Black Waters Of Lake Mattheson. |
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| Mount Cook And Mount Tasman Lost In The Clouds. |
Franz Josef and her sister Fox glacier, support small but vibrant tourist townships at their feet.
In summer the visiting population parachutes in the blue skies, kayaks the turquoise gorges and rides, bikes and hikes the green valleys. In winter they ski.
We visited the glaciers which are dramatically obscured by folds in the mountainous terrain until the closing stretch of a pleasant walk. They have advanced and retreated countless times over the eons and are both currently in a state of forward motion. Like molasses, they roll slowly down the gorges, fed by snow that falls at the top. Amongst the fastest moving glaciers in the world, they can achieve 5m per day. A crashed aircraft that was enveloped in the ice in 1941, 7 miles from the terminal face, was ejected onto the forward boulder field a mere 6 years later.
Their size is deceptive.
From a distance the lack of context tricks the eye into foreshortening the dimensions. At 13 miles in length, their true size only becomes apparent when hikers appear like ants traversing the Moraine. Fox is commonly regarded as the less spectacular of the two. Franz Josef produces a roaring river from the ice cave that gapes at the foot of the face, fed by a thousand intra-glacial streams that flow through the fissures that the moving ice opens and closes on a daily basis.
From a distance the lack of context tricks the eye into foreshortening the dimensions. At 13 miles in length, their true size only becomes apparent when hikers appear like ants traversing the Moraine. Fox is commonly regarded as the less spectacular of the two. Franz Josef produces a roaring river from the ice cave that gapes at the foot of the face, fed by a thousand intra-glacial streams that flow through the fissures that the moving ice opens and closes on a daily basis.
Access is limited to 200m from the terminal face unless accompanied by a qualified guide. The ice sheets are alive and change on a daily basis. Enticing blue ice caves can appear and be reabsorbed during the course of a day. Spectacular collapses are common and signs warn visitors in the strongest terms, of the risks.
Over adventurous tourists have been washed away by collapsing ice dams and being crushed by the tonnes of ice that fall daily from the face. Two Indian tourists were killed in 2009 and many who ignore the safety cordons have been injured. Despite the warnings it is estimated that one third of the 600,000 tourists who visit the glaciers annually, venture beyond the marked safety areas.
Whether this is a measure of the impossible task of managing man’s interaction with a force of nature, or a reflection of the over cautious policy of the Department of Conservation, is a moot point. More people come to harm driving to the glaciers than misbehaving in its massive shadow.
Over adventurous tourists have been washed away by collapsing ice dams and being crushed by the tonnes of ice that fall daily from the face. Two Indian tourists were killed in 2009 and many who ignore the safety cordons have been injured. Despite the warnings it is estimated that one third of the 600,000 tourists who visit the glaciers annually, venture beyond the marked safety areas.
Whether this is a measure of the impossible task of managing man’s interaction with a force of nature, or a reflection of the over cautious policy of the Department of Conservation, is a moot point. More people come to harm driving to the glaciers than misbehaving in its massive shadow.
After the magnificence of the glaciers we walked the modest circumference of Lake Matheson. Exploited by the Maori for its eel and timber, the area remained unchanged by its sustainable use for hundreds of years. White settlers cleared the forests for agricultural land but the lake has survived unscathed. The banks are heavily mossed and consequently the soil is deeply peaty. The run off gives the water an almost black appearance and creates perfect conditions, on still days, for the famous reflections of Mounts Cook and Tasman which are visible from the specially constructed viewing platform.
The lake is alive with native fan tails and wood pigeons, unconcerned by the approach of walkers. The former is tiny but fiercely territorial. Taking up a position on a branch or trunk, it will hold its ground, repeating its distinctive staccato chatter and waving its white and blue fan aggressively until the interloper either departs. or comes too close.
The lake is alive with native fan tails and wood pigeons, unconcerned by the approach of walkers. The former is tiny but fiercely territorial. Taking up a position on a branch or trunk, it will hold its ground, repeating its distinctive staccato chatter and waving its white and blue fan aggressively until the interloper either departs. or comes too close.
After more barbequed New Zealand lamb we chatted and drank coffee.
Despite the low cloud that had shrouded the glacier, we all felt the soporific effects of a full day in the mountain air and so collapsed into bed without further ceremony, leaving the washing up to another day.
Despite the low cloud that had shrouded the glacier, we all felt the soporific effects of a full day in the mountain air and so collapsed into bed without further ceremony, leaving the washing up to another day.
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