These glaciers are accessible from the South Island's west coast and are noteworthy because they descend through temperate rainforest. Franz Joseph glacier is not named for the popular (at SJSU anyway) late '80s singer Frank Joseph, but for a previous Austrian emperor.
Franz Josef Glacier from our hotel
Evidence of glacial presence in the recent past
According to the sign at Fox Glacier; It takes about 150 years for the lichen to re-grow
Franz Josef Glacier
One of the dozens of waterfalls littering the gorge
This waterfall empties on top of the glacier
The gorge from atop Franz-Josef
Talonz
We were able to climb up here with these devices called "Talonz" by the guide
The terrain atop the glacier is anything but flat
Heroes on the Glacier!
Dirty Snow?
What appears as earth - sometimes complete with vegetation, is actually dirt on top of the snow
The colour of the glacier was amazing
The texture of the glacier was also amazing
The mouth of Franz-Josef Glacier
Franz-Josef Glacier in sepia
Reflection in a glacial pool below Fox Glacier
The mouth of Fox Glacier produces some neat ice flows
Tricolour
According to a sign here, you can pick out three stages of growth - the clean rock farthest away marks the most recent terrain, the red in the middle marks the second stage and the green the oldest. It takes 150 years for a forest to reach maturity after the ice has gone - and that is if the frequent landslides don't wipe it away
The texture of Fox Glacier
A Fox on Fox :-)
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