Amid brilliant Glaciers, Snow-Capped Mountains, Giant Rivers Of Ice, Wonderful Lakes & Rivers and Tussock Grasslands, lay the magnificent Westland / Tai Poutini National Park. It's an amazing wilderness escape. It enshrines several atypical bird species like Okarito Brown Kiwi, Southern Crested Grebe (Kamana) and White Heron (Kotuku). Bark is certainly a haven for bird lovers.
Established in 1960, Westland National Park lies to the south of Okarito Lagoon. Westland Park lies at the border of the Tasman Sea. Glazing snowfields support the gigantic 'rivers of ice'. It is an integral part of the Southwest New Zealand World Heritage Area. From peaks as high as 3000 m to lowland rainforest, Tai Pountini has everything!
New Zealand's department of Conservation protects the 1,275 Square Kms of the Westland / Tai Poutini National Park. Mirror image of the stunning alpine in the crystal clear Lakes, Mesmerizing Forests, Rivers and Beaches make you feel you have entered into a wonderland.
There are as many as 60 Glaciers in Tai Poutini National Park. So, it's not pretty difficult to picture why Westland Park is one of the most frequently visited holiday destination.
As per a Maori legend, glaciers of Westland are tears shed by an Avalanche girl when a boy named Tawe, she direly loved, slipped to death from one of the mountain peaks.
The mountains of the Southern Alps are of great significance to the Ngai Tahu Tribe spiritually.
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Wild Life: Red Deer, Chamois, Tahr, Tui, Bellbird, Fantail and White Heron
Nearest Town: Hokitika
Nearest Airport: Hokitika
Nearest Railway Station: Hokitika
Temperature: 4 c to 19 c
Rainfall: 4700 cm
Language: English and Maori
Westland/Tai Poutini National Park Visitor Centre details
| Address: | 13 State Highway 6 | Postal Address: | PO Box 14 |
| Franz Josef Glacier 7856 | Franz Josef Glacier 7856 | Tel: +64 3 752 0796 | Fax: +64 3 752 0797 |
