Icebergs
Floating in the lake.
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The Tasman Glacier, officially Haupapa / Tasman Glacier, is the largest glacier in New Zealand, lying wholly within Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park on the South Island. It is about 18 km in a straight line from Mount Cook Village. At 23.5 km long it remains the country's longest glacier despite shrinking sharply since the 1990s. It is up to 4 km wide and 600 metres thick, covers 101 square kilometres and starts at 3,000 metres. It flows along the eastern flanks of New Zealand's two highest peaks, Mount Tasman and Aoraki / Mount Cook. The lower glacier is entirely covered in rock, and its blue ice front ends in a grey lake where white icebergs float. Sharp snowy peaks rise above, mirrored in the water on calm days. A short walk leads to a viewpoint over the lake, and guided boat trips weave among the icebergs in summer. Mountain weather changes fast, so bring warm layers.
Floating in the lake.
The glacier's end.
Aoraki and Tasman.
Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand
A short walk to the viewpoint, or a summer boat trip.
Yes, sharply since the 1990s.