Te Wahipounamu, Westland, New Zealand
S 43° 51.656 E 169° 02.728
59G E 342930 N 5141716
A beautiful region of the South Island of New Zealand.
Waymark Code: WM5H4J
Location: South Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 01/07/2009
Views: 28
Taken from the plaque at the visitors centre:
On the 12th of December 1990, the forests, mountains and coasts of South Westland and Mount Aspiring National Park were recognised by UNESCO as one of the world's outstanding natural heritage sites. These areas were thereby joined with Fiordland National Park and Westland/Mount Cook National Parks to constitute a new 2.6 million hectare South-West New Zealand World Heritage Area, also known by the Maori name - Te Wahipounamu ("The place of the Greenstone").
Te Wahipounamu is one of the world's great wild and scenis landscapes, a priceless remnant of the flora and fauna that once inhabited the ancient super-continent of Gondwanaland.
This park includes a range of wonderful enchanted forests, waterfalls and mountains. The Westlands are the best kept secret of New Zealand.