Majestic glacier in New Zealand
Category

Activity

Est. Duration

8+h

Also

Culture

Message from Adriana Neptuna

The Franz Josef Glacier, also known as Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere, is a 12-kilometer-long glacier located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on New Zealand's South Island. It's part of Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site and descends from the Southern Alps to less than 300 meters above sea level. The glacier has a cool backstory involving a heartbroken Māori woman named Hine Hukatere. Over the years, it has shown a mix of advancing and retreating, influenced by factors like snowfall and meltwater. Despite its recent retreat, it remains a popular tourist spot, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year who can now only view it from a distance due to safety concerns.

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