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Story: South Canterbury places

Melting Tasman Glacier

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Melting Tasman Glacier

The Tasman Glacier is 27 kilometres long and up to 3 kilometres wide, making it New Zealand’s largest glacier. Due to rising average temperatures the glacier is melting, adding millions of litres of water to the Waitaki River system. These people are standing beneath its retreating edge.

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Alpine Recreation

by Gottlieb Braun-Elwert

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How to cite this page

John Wilson, South Canterbury places – Aoraki/Mt Cook, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/11441/melting-tasman-glacier (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by John Wilson, published 2 March 2009, updated 17 August 2015.