Westland National Park

Gigantic blocks of ice tumbling off the glacier face; ice fields higher up the glacier, their blue ice sparkling in the sunlight; rugged peaks (the highest in the country) soaring to the skyline; dense, virgin rain forest clawed by rock-strewn river beds.

Westland National Park is a place of extremes, including the extreme precipitation at the top of Westland. Up to 300 inches of snow per annum falls here, feeding Westland's glacier field. Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier are the two most visited.

The park is backed by the main divide of the Southern Alps to the east. High up there are thousands of acres of alpine ski slopes and rugged rocky peaks. Below the bush line, the slopes are clad in thick temperate rain forest, and in places the park runs right to the rugged coastline, home to seals, penguins, and lonely beaches.

BEST TIME TO GO

This part of the country is subject to a very high rainfall, measured in meters rather than inches. This, and its associated cloud, will play havoc with your plans if they involve climbing, flying, or ice-walking. Winter weather is often clearer than summer, although much colder, and there are less people around.

Fun Fact

Westland National Park joins the Fiordland and Mt. Aspiring national parks to form a sweeping World Heritage Area of more than 5 million acres.