Franz Josef & Fox Glacier 弗兰兹约瑟夫冰川 - 福克斯冰川

纽西兰的弗兰茲‧约瑟夫冰河，会让人们觉得「冰河时代」还沒有过去。这条由大块的冰和雪块组成的冰河，绵延7.5英里，所到之处，遍及纽西兰的南阿爾卑斯山，和气候溫和的雨林。人们通常认為，纽西兰独特的冰雪环境，造就了弗兰茲‧约瑟夫冰河这个自然奇观，面对地球暖化，纽西兰最大冰河正快速后退，而且有可能完全消失。纽西兰南島阿爾卑斯山的冰雪数量，过去三十年減少约百分之十一。減少的冰雪數量，百分之九十以上是因為气溫上升，山区的十二条最大冰河融化所造成。冰河已超过极限，造成冰山崩塌，在山腳下形成湖泊。纽西兰最大的塔斯曼冰河，目前約只有二十三公里，过去三十年，它的山腳下已形成一个五公里長的湖泊。一八八零年代时，这条冰河有二十八公里长。不過国际水力与大气研究所说，纽西兰南島阿爾卑斯山西麓，雨量增加，对冰河產生的影响不一。一九八零年代至一九九零年代，雨量增加，積雪量也增加。不过沙林吉說，最著名的法兰约瑟冰河仍比一九零零年时短，尽管过去兩年已有所增长，不过自二零零零年以來，冰河仍后退約二百三十公尺。所以呢，还等什么呀? 再不去看看这个自然界的奇景，就没什么机会了。

Franz Josef

The base of Franz Josef walk.

Fox Glacier
整个福克斯冰河高度落差为2600公尺, 长度約13公里, 深度约为300公尺, 福克斯冰河是纽西兰总理William Fox 在1872年到访后而命名的. 帅~~
The glacier itself is bigger in Fox, and the range of available activities, such as heli-hiking, scenic flights and guided walks, are similar to Franz, just less expensive! So I did the fox glacier walk. (have to book the guided walks in advance and need to check the weather thru DOC ya)

Ice Climbing
世界上已经有許多冰河因为不再移動而关闭了. 但是福克斯冰河却还是一个”活的”冰河, 仍然保留了当初冰河时期的原始风貌.


全世界沒有一个溫帶地区有如此容易到达的冰河奇景


The adventure is begin...
福克斯冰河的大部分地方都是相當陡峭的, 所以提供了喜爱冒险的人一个非常好的去处. 你可以在冰河上徒步行走, 或是爬上陡俏的冰山, 探访不为人知的区域, 当一个十足的冒险家. Just like me... hehehe...

Please walk carefully during the glacier walk because it is not easy to complete the slippery walk with heavy leather boots, wool socks and instep crampons. There are 10 persons in each group but from my photo, there are only 6 persons left. Why? 4 of my group members need to turn back even paid already because they keep falling down and get hurt during the walk in the first few hours...... conclusion? I am so smart... hehehe.... And, I am the only Asian... wahahaha.... just kidding!


Lake Matheson

Lake Matheson is 3 miles away from the Fox Village. So if you don't have your own car you'll have to walk or bike to get there, as the village does not have a taxi or transport service. The scenic loop trail was easy. Several elderly people were enjoying the solitude of the forest walk, stopping to admire strange and beautiful plants near the water or resting in benches along the way. Bright green ferns shared the forest with moss-covered trees and thick vegetation. The lake was visible at different points along the trail, including private platforms that encouraged quiet contemplation.

The mirror image of mountains reflecting in Lake Matheson
此景只应天上有，人间难得几回闻......

在福克斯冰河的附近有一个相当美丽的湖-美喜森湖 (Lake Matheson). 來自世界各地的遊客无不被这个美丽的湖所深深的吸引, 湖面上清楚的倒映着，库克山 (Mt Cook, 紐西兰最高的山) 与塔斯曼山的美丽景緻, 加上周围与世隔绝的自然风光. 让人深深的陶醉其中, 湖边有森林步道,更是许多遊客喜爱的行程之一. 如果沿着森林步道走下去, 可以看到一个石洞, 纯净且黑暗的洞穴中可以看到有无数的荧火虫飞舞在, 彷彿來到了一个完全不同的世界, 是一个相当难得的旅遊体验.