Some smaller glaciers near the Franz Josef Glacier on the West Coast in New Zealand. The névé or snowfield at the head of Franz Josef Glacier is over 2.500 metres above sea level and 20 square kilometres in area. This wide névé, which is over 300 metres deep, feeds large amounts of compacted snow into a steep and narrow valley which drops quickly to very low altitudes: the glacier descends to 300 metres above sea level in just 11 km (6.8 mi). This combination of factors leads to Franz Josef persisting where most temperate-zone glaciers would have already melted, and allows it to share a valley with temperate rain forest.
Let me start by introducing myself. I'm Frank from the Netherlands, currently sixty-eight years old and retired for over a decade already. This gives me plenty of time to spend on one of the most fascinating hobbies I have, photography. It combines really well with travelling, another.. Read more…