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- West Coast Region
- Mount Aspiring National Park
Mount Aspiring National Park Information
Highlights of West Coast Region
n the coastline about 16km south west of Westport, you will find Tauranga Bay and the Cape Foulwind..
Hokitika InformationHokitika was first settled in 1860, after the discovery of gold on the west coast. It was an..
Fox Glacier InformationNamed after Sir William Fox, New Zealand’s Prime Minister from 1869 to 1872, Fox Glacier..
Franz Josef InformationFranz Josef Glacier was first explored in 1865 by geologist Julius von Haast, who named it after..
Moana InformationSituated at the edge of Lake Brunner, Moana is a tiny settlement with a camping ground and a store...
Karamea InformationKaramea sits at the end of a no-exit highway sandwiched between rainforested hills and the Tasman..
Monro InformationMonro Beach is near Lake Moeraki, it is an easy walk through luxuriant coastal forest to the remote..
Okarito InformationAbout half an hour’s drive north of Franz Josef is the coastal settlement of Okarito, boasting..
Jackson Bay fishing village InformationSouth of Haast, the coastline turns westward along a 24 kilometre, gently curving bay to Jackson..
Cape Foulwind Seal Colony InformationA female New Zealand fur seal lives at the same colony all her life. After giving birth in late..
Buller River InformationThe Buller River is one of New Zealand's longest and most enigmatic rivers. From it's source at..
Greymouth InformationOnce the site of the Maori pa Mawhera (which means ‘wide spread river mouth’, in reference to..
See all locations in West Coast RegionMount Aspiring National Park Information
Ancient Maori trails followed safe passages through this beautifully rugged and unforgiving terrain. The Maori journeyed in search of pounamu (greenstone or jade), prized for making tools, weapons and ornaments. Later, Europeans farmed the fertile river valleys and mined some areas for minerals. Today this large area is preserved as national park and forms part of Te Wahipounamu - Southwest New Zealand World Heritage Area.
A hiker's paradise, Mount Aspiring National Park offers a large number of short walks that are mostly concentrated at the end of the park's access roads. Longer hikes through beautiful valleys, with options to traverse mountain saddles, include the Routeburn, the Dart/Rees River circuit, Greenstone/Caples and the Wilkin Valley tracks.
The park is peppered with mountains. Mount Aspiring is the highest, and the only peak over 3000 metres outside Mount Cook National Park. One of the most unusual areas in the park is the Red Hills mineral belt in the southwest. Here the concentration of magnesium in the soil is so high that only a few hardy plants survive.
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Throughout the park, beech forests dominate below the tree line. Red beech favour sunny, frost-free situations, while at higher altitudes you will find silver or mountain beech happily surviving winter snowfalls. Open areas caused by slips and avalanches are first repopulated by ribbonwoods, one of New Zealand's few deciduous trees. Above the tree line are snow tussock grasslands and herb fields with mountain buttercups and daisies.
Many species of native bird happily share the lush river valleys, and walkers are continuously serenaded by delightful birdsong. The park's alpine areas are home to the threatened rock wren and the highly entertaining kea, a mischievous mountain parrot that is not to be trusted. Kea occasionally help themselves to visitors' lunches and show a surprising interest in man-made objects, such as shoes, packs and tents.
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Highlights of South Island
Queenstown is pretty much adventure central any time of year. A resort town on the shores of Lake..
Milford Sound InformationVoted world's top travel destination in the 2008 Travelers' Choice Destinations Awards by..
Christchurch - Canterbury InformationWindswept pastureland, rolling grassy hills, blossoming wildflowers of countless colours, endless..
Fiordland InformationFiordland is a land of timeless beauty, where waterfalls cascade into crystal fiords, rainforests..
Nelson Region InformationOn the northern most tip of New Zealand’s South Island lies Nelson, New Zealand’s..
Dunedin InformationDunedin is the heart of New Zealand’s Otago Region, on the south-east coast of the South..
Nelson InformationHardy European pioneers founded the beautiful city of Nelson, New Zealand in 1842, although this..
Otago Peninsula InformationFlanking the southern edge of Dunedin's extensive harbour, Otago Peninsula is high and rugged on..
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