Until 1909 ice pressed against Harper Rock just in front of Sentinel Rock. In 1865, Sentinel Rock had just emerged from beneath the retreating Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere ice when the valley was first visited by Sir Julius Von Haast. The French term “roche moutonnee”, meaning ‘rock - sheep’ is used to describe these distinctive rounded rocks which were shaped by glaciers. Sentinel Rock and the other rock outcrops nearby are hard schist bedrock which have withstood the massive scraping by the ice as the glacier passed by and over. To view the massive snowfields of the upper neve you need to take a flight in a helicopter or ski plane. Sentinel Rock offers impressive views of the glacier, the glacier valley, the Waiho River and dramatic examples of colonising plants. The terminal face of the glacier is less than 300 metres above sea level and is just one of three to be this close to the coastline. Although today’s glacier has retreated considerably, echoes of its frozen past are still apparent in the present landscape. In the last ice age the glacier extended in a huge ice-sheet to beyond the present coastline. These are there for safety: yours and the people coming after you.Ī concession is required to fly a drone on any public conservation land. This changes their natural behaviour, can be detrimental to their health, and leads directly to the destructive behaviour kea are unfairly blamed for.ĭon’t modify or remove any safety signs or barriers in the valley. There are good flush toilets provided at the glacier car-park for your convenience, but there are none further up the valley so think before you leave on your walk.ĭo not feed the wildlife, particularly kea. No rubbish bins are provided in the valley, so be prepared to take out what you bring in. Even if you think you know what you are doing, you may lead other curious visitors into dangerous areas. Barriers and warning signs are there for your safety.
Ice collapse and rock fall can occur at any time at the terminal face of the glacier, and for this reason do not proceed beyond the rope barrier. A cold down-draft off the glacier is normal in the valley, and rainstorms occasionally catch visitors by surprise. When conditions are considered unsafe a sign will be placed across the track indicating the limit of safe access.ĭress sensibly, wear sturdy footwear and take suitable precautions in case of a sudden weather change. Do not attempt to cross enlarged or rising streams. The entire river bed can become completely covered with flood water. The Waiho Valley is a dynamic and potentially hazardous environment, and river levels and water channels can change rapidly, particularly during and after heavy rain.
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