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Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers

Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers are located in the South West region of the South Island and are part of a World Heritage listed area. They are the two most famous glaciers in New Zealand; they are quite unique because of their rapid movement and their location as they are reaching into an area that is a mere 300 m above sea level! They are unique leftovers of the last Ice Age. The South West region lies in the path of a wind system known as the “Roaring Forties”; this wind forces the weather over the Southern Alps where it cools down and drops most of its moisture as rain and snow. This rain and snow is then frozen and compacted, pushed down the slopes into valleys and so forming the glaciers or rivers of ice. At present the glaciers are advancing at a rate of approximately one meter a day. Franz Josef is located near Waihi and was named in 1865 in honor of the Austrian Emperor of that time. Fox Glacier was named in 1872 after the prime minister at that time (Sir William Fox) who visited the glacier. There are many mazes, crevasses and pinnacles of ice to explore, but this should be attempted only with knowledgeable local guides. There are guided walks or heli-hikes where guests are first transported to the top of the glacier by helicopter, followed by a guided walk downhill.