Fox Glacier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. Please help improve this article by introducing appropriate citations. (help, get involved!) This article has been tagged since July 2006. |
The Fox Glacier/Te Moeka o Tuawe is a 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. Although retreating throughout most of the last 100 years, it has been advancing since 1985 at an average of about a meter a day. Fed by four alpine glaciers, Fox Glacier falls 2,600m on its 13km journey from the Southern Alps down to the coast. Like the nearby Franz Josef Glacier, it is one of the most accessible glaciers in the world, with its terminal face an easy 5km walk from Fox Glacier village/Weheka. Fox has the distinction of being one of the few glaciers to end among lush rainforest only 300 metres above sea level. The outflow of the glacier forms the Fox River.Fox Glacier is a big tourist attraction and even though people are told not to, they go beyond the barrier and climb on the Glacier.
Fox Glacier village/Weheka functions mainly as a service centre for tourists. It also services the local farming community.
[edit] See also
 |
This West Coast, New Zealand-related geography article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
