A timelapse camera, installed in 2012, records the retreat of Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere. Until 2019 the glacier retreated about 900 m. Video / Victoria University
One of New Zealand's famous glaciers has receded 1km over the last 10 years - and the retreat of the ice has been captured on camera.
And the Department of Conservation says the retreat is making it much more challenging to maintain safe access to Franz Josef's frozen field.
VictoriaUniversity glaciologist Dr Brian Anderson has released time-lapse video of the glacier from 2012 to 2019 that shows the environmental change.
The camera has not been operating since February last year so the footage ends there.
"The retreat between 2012 and March 2019 was 910m," Anderson told the Greymouth Star.
He said that between 2012 and last month, the total ice recession was 1.06km.
Franz Josef spans 12km and is a temperate maritime glacier in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast.
DoC regional visitor planner Jock Edmondson said the access road to Franz Josef Glacier was less resilient to storms, mainly because of the gravels and debris left in the riverbed by the retreating glacier and because severe storms were more frequent.