About Fox and Franz Josef Glacier, NZ
Welcome to the group dedicated to showcasing images taken specifically of the mighty Fox Glacier and fantastic Franz Josef Glacier!
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Well done to Niall Corbet
If you have a photograph with either of these Glaciers in, be it from the air, the ground or on the Glacier itself, it is more than welcome in this group. Also allowed are helicopter shots going to and from the Glacier, as are run off rivers and anything you deem relevant!!
This is designed to be an informal group and a showcase for some fantastic images that are taken every year of these great ice giants so feel free to join us and build a knowledgeable group!
Fox and Franz Josef Township and Glacier map:
Click Here to enlarge this map!
Fox Glacier Info
The Fox Glacier is a 13 km long glacier located in Westland National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It was named in 1872 after a visit by the then Prime Minister of New Zealand, Sir William Fox.
Fed by four alpine glaciers, Fox Glacier falls 2,600m on its 13km journey from the Southern Alps down to the coast, with it having the distinction of being one of the few glaciers to end among lush rainforest only 300 metres above sea level. Although retreating throughout most of the last 100 years, it has been advancing since 1985 at approximately 1 metre per day. Like the nearby Franz Josef Glacier, it is one of the most accessible glaciers in the world, with its terminal face an easy walk from Fox Glacier village/Weheka. It is a major tourist attraction and about 1000 people daily visit it during high tourist season. Though people are told not to, some go beyond the barriers and climb without guides onto the glacier, whose rapid advance creates dangers of sudden ice and rockfalls.
Accidents
Two Australian tourists, Ashish Miranda and Akshay Miranda, were killed 8 January 2009 when more than 100 tonnes of ice fell on them. They were not part of a guided group, had crossed safety barriers and walked approximately 500 metres to the terminal face to take photos. This proves a sad reminder to the power of the Glacier and the importance of following safety precautions.
Franz Josef Glacier Info
The Franz Josef (Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere in Māori)[1][2] is a 12 km long[3] glacier located in Westland National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Together with the Fox Glacier 20 km to the south, it is unique in descending from the Southern Alps to less than 300 metres above sea level, amidst the greenery and lushness of a temperate rainforest.
The glacier is currently 12 km long and terminates 19 km from the Tasman Sea. Fed by a 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi) large snowfield[7] at high altitude, it exhibits a cyclic pattern of advance and retreat, driven by differences between the volume of meltwater at the foot of the glacier and volume of snowfall feeding the névé. Due to strong snowfall it is one of the few glaciers in New Zealand which is still growing as of 2007, while others, mostly on the eastern side of the Southern Alps, have been shrinking heavily, a process attributed to global warming.
A church built in 1931 was given a panoramic altar window to take advantage of its location looking at the Glacier. By 1954, the glacier had disappeared from view from the church window, but reappeared in 1997. This is due to the highly variable conditions on the snowfield, which take around 5-6 years before they result in changes in the terminus location. Based on past variations, scientists expect that Franz Josef Glacier will retreat 5 km and lose 38% of its mass by 2100 in a mid-range scenario of warming.
The glacier area is also one of the main tourist attractions of the West Coast, with around 250,000 visitors a year, and up to 2,700 per day (2007).Guided and unguided walks up to and onto the glacier are possible.
Accidents
In June 2010, an Australian tourist died during a guided hike of the glacier.
LINKS
Please feel free to suggest your own links by posting to a discussion thread or contacting me
Fox Glacier Guided walks and Helihikes
Scenic Heli Flights to Fox Glacier
Fox Glacier Accomodation
Frans Josef Guided Trips
Franz Josef Accomodation
Information on the Retreat of Glaciers
Glaciers of New Zealand
Tasman, Franz Josef and Fox glaciers
Glacier Hot Pools with private hot tubs
Your Admin for this group is mattychappy
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Additional Information
 This is a public group.
- View the group rules.
- Accepted media types:
- Accepted content types:
- Photos / Videos
- Screenshots / Screencasts
- Illustration/Art / Animation/CGI
- Accepted safety levels:
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