The word for today snow/sunshine. Glaciers are formed by compacted snow and when the annual snowfall at the névé is greater than annual snowmelt, the glacier advances. When snow melts faster, the glacier retreats. Franz Josef is retreating faster than ever before and likely gone in a few years.
The Maori legend ‘the Frozen Tears of Hine Hukatere’ tells of the origin of the glacier they call Ka Roimata o te Hine Hukatere.
“Once, there was a goddess called Hine Hukatere who loved to climb the high peaks of NZ’s Southern Alps. But one day she decided to visit the beach, where she fell in love with the warrior Wawe. Hine Hukatere invited Wawe to her mountain home. But Wawe couldn’t keep up with the fleet-footed goddess. He stumbled and fell, and an avalanche swept Wawe to his death. Grief-stricken, Hine Hukatere cried and cried. Rangi, the Sky Father, took pity on her and froze her tears, turning them into a river of ice.”
Taken Oct 2019, the tiny dot in the centre is a person.
