Franz Josef Glacier

 
 

So in the South Island on the West Coast there is a glacier named for an Austrian Emperor! What were they thinking? A German explorer gave it its colonial name – but I haven't found why he chose an Austrian.

 

It also has a Maori name – a bit of a mouthful – Ka Roimata o Hine Hukatere.

 

The Maori name means the tears of Hine Hukatere – she loved climbing mountains and persuaded her man to climb with her.  An avalanche swept him away and she was so grief stricken she watered the mountain with her tears.  Rangi the sky father froze the tears to form a glacier.

 

You used to be able to walk right up onto the end of the glacier but this is now too dangerous.  You can get onto the glacier higher up using a helicopter – expensive!

 

There is a village called Franz Josef which caters for visitors.