There are 3161 glaciers larger than one hectare in New Zealand. Of those, all but six are in the South Island, with Ruapehu clutching the handful in the north. Each of them is a place of stunning beauty and a display of unimaginable power played out in ultra slow motion. By Derek Morrison
Fox Glacier, Westland Fox Glacier, or Te Moeka o Tuawe, is one of the world’s most loved glaciers – and one of the most accessible. Twenty-three kilometres south of Franz Josef Glacier on the West Coast, Fox Glacier is one of the few glaciers in the world that descends into rainforest just 300m above sea-level. The terminal face is 2.6km from the car park at the end of the glacier access road. This is the experience that most of the estimated 1000 tourists each day have with the glacier. But its accessibility belies the seriousness of this glacier. In 2009 two Australian tourists were crushed to death by 100 tonnes of ice after crossing barriers at the terminal face. Stepping onto the 13km-long glacier is best done with a local guide who knows the pace of the ice flow – up to 2m/day. Half-day and full-day glacier tramps are available along with heli-access and overnight trips. Access The glacier access road is 2km south of Fox Glacier Village. Turn right before you cross the Fox River. You will require crampons and a good level of fitness for glacier walks and guides are required to navigate the ice fields. Map BX15 Mangatoetoenui Glacier, Mt Ruapehu [caption id="attachment_20957" align="aligncenter" width="1280"]
