Fox Glacier
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| Fox Glacier | |
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  Fox Glacier
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| Coordinates: 43°27′52″S 170°1′4″E / 43.46444°S 170.01778°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | West Coast |
| District | Westland District |
| Population (2006) | |
| - Total | 375 |
The Fox Glacier (Te Moeka o Tuawe in Māori)[1] is a 13 km long glacier located in Westland National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.[2] It was named in 1872 after a visit by the then Prime Minister of New Zealand, Sir William Fox.[3]
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[edit] Geography
Fed by four alpine glaciers, Fox Glacier falls 2,600m on its 13km journey from the Southern Alps down to the coast, with it having the distinction of being one of the few glaciers to end among lush rainforest only 300 metres above sea level. Although retreating throughout most of the last 100 years, it has been advancing since 1985 at an average of about a metre a week.[4]
The outflow of the glacier forms the Fox River. During the last ice age, its ice reached beyond the present coastline, and the glacier left behind many moraines during its retreat. Lake Matheson formed as a kettle lake within one of these.[2][5]
[edit] Tourism
Like the nearby Franz Josef Glacier, it is one of the most accessible glaciers in the world, with its terminal face an easy walk from Fox Glacier village/Weheka. It is a major tourist attraction and about 1000 people daily visit it during high tourist season.[4] Though people are told not to, some go beyond the barriers and climb without guides onto the glacier, whose rapid advance creates dangers of sudden ice and rockfalls.[4]
Fox Glacier township/Weheka, 6 km away from the glacier,[2] functions mainly as a service centre for tourists, though it also services the local farming community, which had been its main focus until the 1990s (though tourism started as early as the late 1920s). The approximate township site had been gazetted as early as 1866.[1] Bruce Bay is 46 km to the south-west of the township, and Franz Josef is 23 km north-east. State Highway 6 runs through the town.[6][7]
The population was 375 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 117 from 2001.[8].
[edit] Deaths
Two Australian tourists, Ashish Miranda and Akshay Miranda, were killed 8 January 2009 when more than 100 tonnes of ice fell on them. They were not part of a guided group and had crossed safety barriers and walked approximately 500 metres to the terminal face to take photos.[9]
Ashish's body was recovered shortly after the accident. At the time, it was thought by rescuers that Akshay might have to be left under the ice permanently. However his body was recovered a week later, 10 km downstream from the accident.[10]
[edit] Education
Fox Glacier School is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating of 8 and a roll of 17.[11] The school started in 1877.[12]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b The History of Fox Glacier Hotel (from the hotel website. Accessed 2008-07-19.)
- ^ a b c Fox Glacier area (from the DOC website. Accessed 2008-05-17.)
- ^ "Mr Fox at the Glaciers". Otago Witness (1062): p. 8. 6 April 1872. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=OW18720406.2.24.
- ^ a b c Glacier visitors ignore 'extreme risks' - The New Zealand Herald, Thursday 12 January 2006
- ^ Beautiful New Zealand, Stamps - Historical Issues, 1984 - 1980, New Zealand Post. Accessed 2008-05-17.
- ^ Peter Dowling (editor) (2004). Reed New Zealand Atlas. Reed Books. map 76. ISBN 0-7900-0952-8.
- ^ Roger Smith, GeographX (2005). The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand. Robbie Burton. map 173. ISBN 1-877333-20-4.
- ^ Quickstats about Fox Glacier
- ^ "Brothers crushed by ice named, glacier search postponed". The New Zealand Herald. 9 January 2009. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10551061.
- ^ "Body of second brother recovered from Fox Glacier". The New Zealand Herald. 15 January 2009. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10552048.
- ^ "Te Kete Ipurangi - Fox Glacier School". Ministry of Education. http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=3342.
- ^ Hall, Margaret (1979). Black sands and golden years : Weheka-Fox Glacier School jubilee 1877-1979. Bascands.
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