New Zealand National Parks

Abel Tasman National Park

Abel Tasman National Park is located in the northern region of New Zealand’s South Island and holds the title of the country’s smallest national park. Nonetheless, it has been perfectly crafted in order to provide visitors utmost relaxation and an adventurous experience. Having said that, it features beautiful golden sand beaches, massive sculptured granite cliffs, and a coast track.
In order to cover this small yet vast coastal paradise, you can either walk from Marahau from the Southern end of the park or else explore it by the means of a cruise boat, sailing catamaran, sea kayaking, or water taxi. Likewise, cruising, canyoning, hiking and guided tours are also available. Furthermore, guided tours offered are of two types- 5 days or either 3 days; choose accordingly and have a closer look into the Abel Tasman National park.

Arthur’s Pass National Park

Arthur’s Pass National Park is the highest pass in the Southern Alps and is comprised of a galore of peaks with estimated heights of over 2,000 meters. The large steep mountain ranges act as the backbone to the South island and are suitable for both long and short hiking trails.

Arthur’s pass village is a tiny village situated in the midst of the massive alpine ranges of the park. The village serves as a popular spot for world-famous TranzAlpine train and encloses a number of motels, hotels, cabins, cafeterias etcetera.
Visitors can either visit the Arthur’s Pass National Park via road or TransAlpine Train from Christchurch; nonetheless, both of them offer awe-inspiring views of natural landscapes. c

Egmont National Park

Egmont National Park is situated on the south of new Plymouth, close enough to the West Coast of the North island, New Zealand. Circumcised by the dormant volcano-Mount Taranaki, the Egmont National Park offers its visitors beautiful landscapes, tranquil waterfalls, lush green rainforests and mossy swamps.

Though the Egmont National Park is dominated by the Mount Taranaki, it still offers visitors an ample number of recreation activities. From massive alpine peaks for climbers to wetlands for explorers and beautiful waterfalls for nature-lovers; Egmont has something for everyone.

Similarly, the park is woven by a plenty of walking tracks. That said, visitors here can have anything from a casual stroll of 15 minutes to a three days long walking trail on the Poukati Circuit.

Fiordland National Park

Fiordland National park, situated at the southwest corner of the South Island, is one of the most rousing and alluring parts of the New Zealand. Being the largest national park in the entire New Zealand, it is sprawled over a land area of more than 12,500 Km2; Incidentally, Fiordland National Park along with the neighboring Mount Cook and Mount Aspiring, collectively form Te Wahipounamu-”the place of greenstone”.
This beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site encapsulates an endless number of ancient rainforests, clinging just next to the massive mountain ranges. The eternal landscape beauty is further enhanced by plummeting waterfalls into the awe-inspiring fjords, dazzling granite peaks, and tranquil lakes.

Kahurangi National Park

Kahurangi National Park is the New Zealand’s second largest national park and encapsulates an alluring world of marble mountains along with an extensive collection of calm, peaceful and magnificent beaches, encircled by huge palm trees.

Being situated in the northwest region of the New Zealand’s South Island, it gives you access to the regions untracked wilderness; nonetheless, the laid-down tracks will lead you to awe-inspiring rivers, high plateaus, beautiful alpine herb fields and lush green coastal forests.

“The Heaphy Track” is the most renowned track at the Kahurangi National Park. It brings forth visitors some of the best places in the park such as the 78km of subtropical rainforest, the tussock high country, the river valley, and coast.

Mount Aspiring National Park

Mount Aspiring National Park is a hikers paradise and is situated in the Southern Alps of the South Islands, New Zealand. Besides the splendid landscapes of the park, Mt Aspiring is itself a dazzling 3,027m high peak, that attract visitors from all paths of the world. Altogether, the Mount Aspiring National Park is indeed, a dreamland of massive alps, alpine lakes, river valleys and breathtaking glaciers.

Being a major part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area, exploring the park will be definitely a once-a-lifetime experience. Be you an ordinary traveler or a mountaineer, or a tramper, the beautiful landforms will surely take your breath away.

Climbing, tramping, skiing, a chopper ride or a long walk, everything’s possible here. Likewise, a large sum of short walking trails is also available near the accessible roads of the park’s ending.

Nelson Lakes National Park

Nelson Lakes National Park is a captivating alpine landscape, situated towards the north of the South Island, New Zealand. Stretched over a land area of 1,02,000 hectares in the Southern Alps, it features an extensive range of short and long walking trails and is home to an array of native New Zealand’s birds.
This dense national park, separated by beautiful forested valleys, marks the beginning of the Southern Alps. From walking tracks set aside the lake to challenging alpine hikes, Nelson Lakes National Park has something to offer to its every visitor.
Talking about the lakes, Lake Rotoroa and Rotoiti are the premier attraction of the park. These lakes are encircled by multiple steep mountains, with native honeydew beech forests fringed to the shores.

Paparoa National Park

Paparoa National Park is located towards the northern end of the South Island and is composed of lush green forests,delicate cave formations, and dazzling limestone canyons. It stretches all the way from the inland coastline to the massive ice-carved Paparoa Ranges, encompassing a land area of 306 Km2.

The park boundaries are very carefully established, in order to encapsulate all the major landscapes and ecosystems of the area. Similarly, a major part of the Paparoa National Park is forested with an assorted range of vegetation. It also offers shelter to an abundance of birdlife; that said, it is the only national park in new Zealand to feature the aboriginal Westland Black Petrel and the Great Spotted Kiwi.

Magnificent coastline, underground hot water streams, beautiful limestone cliffs, and lush coastal forests- there’s much more adding to the beauty of the Paparoa National Park.

Rakiura National Park

Rakiura National Park is located on the Stewart Island and was established in 2002-making it the newest national park in the entire New Zealand. Encapsulating a large number of ancient coastal forests and sequestered beaches, it makes 85% of the South Island. Furthermore, the Stewart Island has a prolific birdlife, thus, you’re most likely to have encounters with some of the New Zealand’s rarest birds.

New Zealand is renowned worldwide for its walking tracks; the Rakiura Track, one of the country’s premier walks, is a part of Rakiura National Park. Furthermore, the park acts as a backdoor to beautiful unmodified landscapes, ecosystems, and habitats. That said, it offers visitors an excellent opportunity to experience New Zealand’s native wildlife and primeval landscapes.

Te Urewera National Park

Te Urewera National Park is the largest national park in the North Island of New Zealand and is well-known for encapsulating an array of eco-friendly wilderness, stunning lakes and some of the New Zealand’s magnificent aboriginal rainforests.

Travelers often make their visit to the Te Urewera National Park in order to explore the marvelous Lake Waikaremoana; carved by a colossal landslide 2200 years ago, it is the focus for an ample number of activities prevalent in the park. The Lake Waikaremoana track one of the New Zealand’s “Great Walks”, is set towards the left side of the lake.

While venturing through the remote areas of the park, you’ll also come in contact with Tuhoe-the children of the mist. These people treat their guests with great hospitality and depict how the Maori culture and language is blooming today in the Te Urewera.

Tongariro National Park

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is comprised of a total of 23 peaks, over 3,000 meters above the sea level and is located in close proximity to the town of Twizel, in the South Island of New Zealand. Mount Cook-New Zealand’s largest peak is situated amidst the alpine ranges of this park.
Though alpine in its purest sense, the park is quite easily accessible. The State Highway 80 near Twizel, is the only path that leads to the Mount Cook village. The village is situated within the park and features a couple of good accommodation options, restaurants and cafeterias. A very distinctive feature of the Mount Cook National Park are its peculiar milky lakes; These lakes appear to be opaque due to the high presence of suspended glacier-ground rock sediments.

Westland Tai Poutini National Park

Westland Tai Poutini National Park, also known as “Glacier Country” extends from the highest peak of the Southern alps to a wild, remote coastal area. It’s the only place in New Zealand where glaciers come in such a close contact with the ocean. Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers are the main highlights of the park.
Likewise, the entire park is weaved out of an impressive network of terrains, leading people to diverse and unique habitats, temperate rainforests, scenic lakes, contrasting tussock grasslands and wetlands. Furthermore, It offers visitors a bunch of adventurous activities such as kayaking adventures across the Lake Matheson and Mapourika and hunting opportunities for red deer, chamois, and tahr. Westland Tai Poutini National Park also serves shelter to several endangered bird species such as Kakariki, Kaka, Rowi as well as the South Island’s native parrot-Kea.

Whanganui National Park

The Whanganui National Park is located in the central North Island and houses the upper reaches of the tranquil Whanganui River. This majestic river is New Zealand’s longest navigable river and stretches all the way from the Tongariro Park to the Tasman sea.
Popular activities of the park include a hiking trail through the wild lowland forests and river trips coupled along with a few adventurous activities down the Whanganui River. Similarly, the land encircling the river is home to an abundance of melodious native birdlife. Moving ahead, another prominent feature of the park is an overnight stay at the Tieke Marae; the area holds a significant Maori history and is a great way of tracing local customs in action.