National Parks

PHOTO: Footbridge over the Clinton River at the start of the Milford Track

Julie Andrews may have been in Austria, but she was thinking of New Zealand when she sang, "The hills are alive with the sound of music."

The National Parks of Aotearoa contain miles of untamed wilderness that make you want to throw your arms wide and yodel. The sounds of native bush, chuckling rivers, mighty mountains and wild beaches are symphonic; and as for the scenery - be prepared for the unimaginable.

Remote, rugged, immense, Te Urewera National Park is famous for its lakes and forested beauty as well as its stormy history. In the southern part of the park lie two of the park's treasures, Lakes Waikaremoana and the smaller Lake Waikareiti.

As much of the park is remote and not easily accessible this has helped protect much of the park's native wildlife. Te Urewera is unique in that it contains a full complement of North Island native forest birds (except weka).

Location

Te Urewera National Park lies between the Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay in the North Island of New Zealand.The nearest towns are Whakatane, Murupara and Wairoa.

Egmont National Park cover 33,534 hectares. Here the volcano Taranaki (or Mt Egmont as it is also known) rules supreme standing tall above the surrounding landscape. In good weather it is a challenging climb for the fit and well prepared. For those wanting a more relaxing experience there are beautiful walks through verdant forest to waterfalls, wetlands and excellent viewpoints.

Location

Egmont National Park can be found on the western coast of New Zealand's North Island. The nearest towns are New Plymouth, Inglewood, Stratford and Opunake.

The Whanganui River winds its way from the mountains to the Tasman Sea through countless hills and valleys. Lowland forest surrounds the river in its middle and lower reaches - the heart of Whanganui National Park.

Tramping tracks through wild lowland forests and river trips down the mighty Whanganui are popular activities. The area has a unique history and Maori culture is an important part of the park experience.

Location

The park is located in the central North Island with the township of Taumarunui to the north and Wanganui to the south. The small towns of Pipiriki, Ohinepane, and Whakahoro are main gateways to the river itself.

Established in 1887, Tongariro was the first national park in New Zealand and the fourth in the world. It is also a dual World Heritage area, a status which recognises the park's important Maori cultural and spiritual associations as well as its outstanding volcanic features.

It is a place of extremes and surprises, a place to explore and remember - from herb fields to forests to tranquil lakes to desert-like plateau and active volcanoes .

Location

Tongariro National Park is located in the central North Island of New Zealand. The nearest towns are Turangi, National Park and Ohakune.

Abel Tasman National Park is renowned for its golden beaches, sculptured granite cliffs, and world-famous Abel Tasman Coast Track. It also has a mild climate and is a good place to visit at any time of the year.

Location

At 22,530 hectares Abel Tasman is New Zealand's smallest national park. It is located at the top of the South Island; the nearest towns are Motueka, Takaka and Kaiteriteri.

Kahurangi is one of New Zealand's newest and the second largest national park. At 452,002 hectares it is also one of the largest. Translated its name has a number of meanings including ‘'treasured possession', an apt description of its wonderfully diverse natural and recreational values. In places it is an untracked wilderness, elsewhere a wonderful network of tracks lets you explore wild rivers, high plateaux and alpine herbfields, and coastal forests.

Location

Kahurangi is in the northwest corner of New Zealand's South Island. Motueka, Takaka, Karamea, Tapawera and Murchison are the park's gateway towns.

Nelson Lakes National Park is situated in the north of New Zealand's South Island. This park protects 102,000 hectares of the northern most Southern Alps. The park offers tranquil beech forest, craggy mountains, clear streams and lakes both big and small.

Location

The gateway to the park is St Arnaud, a 1-2 hour drive from Nelson or Blenheim.

Luxuriant coastal forest, limestone cliffs and canyons, caves and underground streams, and an absolutely spectacular coastline, are all packed into one national park.

Paparoa National Park is perhaps most famous for the Pancake Rocks and blowholes of Dolomite Point, near the little settlement of Punakaiki.

Location

Paparoa National Park is located in the northern part of the South Island's West Coast, alongside State Highway 6, between the towns of Westport and Greymouth.

Arthur's Pass National Park is in the heart of the Southern Alps/Ka Tiritiri o te Moana. Its high mountains with large scree slopes, steep gorges and wide braided rivers, straddles the main divide - the ‘back bone' of the South Island - between Canterbury and the West Coast.

It's a park of contrasts, with dry beech/tawhai forest in the east, luxuriant rainforest on western slopes, and a historic highway and railway running through the middle.

Location

Arthur's Pass National Park is situated between Canterbury and the West Coast in the South Island of New Zealand.

Westland Tai Poutini National Park extends from the highest peaks of K Tiritiri o te Moana/Southern Alps to the remote beaches of the wild West Coast. It is an area of magnificent primeval vistas; snow-capped mountains, glaciers, forests, tussock grasslands, coast, lakes, rivers and wetlands.

This world-class scenic landscape has been recognised as such with World Heritage status. It is part of the Te Whipounamu South-West New Zealand World Heritage Area, along with Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park to the east, and Fiordland and Mt Aspiring National Parks further south.

Location

Westland Tai Poutini National Park (127,541 hectares) is situated about half way down the South Island on its West Coast.

Aoraki/Mount Cook (70,696 hectares) is New Zealand's great alpine park. It has the highest mountains and the largest glaciers. Aoraki/Mount Cook Village and all visitors to the park are dwarfed by the immensity of the landscape that surrounds them.

Location

This park is located in the central part of the South Island, deep in the heart of the Southern Alps. Aoraki/Mount Cook village lies within the park with Twizel the nearest town outside.

Mount Aspiring National Park (established in 1964) is a wonderful mixture of remote wilderness, high mountains and beautiful river valleys. It is a walker's paradise and a must for mountaineers. The views are endless and unforgettable. The park is part of Te Wahipounamu - Southwest New Zealand World Heritage Area.

Location

Mt Aspiring National Park straddles the southern end of the Southern Alps. The closest towns are Wanaka, Queenstown, Glenorchy and Te Anau.

Fiordland National Park is a vast, remote wilderness and the heart of Te Whipounamu - South West New Zealand World Heritage Area in New Zealand's South Island.

Southwest New Zealand is one of the great wilderness areas of the Southern Hemisphere. It is an area where snow-capped mountains, rivers of ice, deep lakes, unbroken forests and tussock grasslands produce a landscape of exceptional beauty. Some of the best examples of animals and plants, which were once found on the ancient super-continent of Gondwana, still exist here.

Location

Fiordland is in the far southwestern corner of the South Island and much of the region is inaccessible by road. The township of Te Anau is considered the gateway to the park.

Rakiura National Park on Stewart Island, the 14th of New Zealand's national parks, opened in 2002. The park covers about 157,000 hectares and makes up about 85 percent of the island.

It encompasses a network of former nature reserves, scenic reserves, and state forest areas. Although the island lies only 30 kilometres south west of Bluff, between latitudes 46 and 47 degrees south, it could well be in another part of the world.

Location

Rakiura National Park is located on New Zealand's Stewart Island.

Whatever National Park(s) you choose, you're guaranteed to be able to enjoy a magic moment all by yourself. If you do find yourself skipping along, humming Do-Re-Mi, the kiwis won't think it's odd. 

In fact, we encourage it!

Department of Conservation www.doc.co.nz