Fiordland National Park (New Zealand) - exact location, interesting places, inhabitants, routes, photos and map.
 |
| Fiordland National Park |
When it comes to unusual travels and natural beauties, thoughts of fjords spontaneously come to mind - stunningly beautiful places where sea bays cut into inaccessible rocks, opening fantastic panoramas to the observer's eyes and plunging him into a state of serenity, harmony and peace. The Fiordland National Park, located in the southwest of New Zealand, belongs to such places.
About the park
Fiordland National Park was established by the New Zealand government in 1952 to preserve the island's ecosystem, and in 1986 became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And this is no coincidence, because the local places have preserved their virgin beauty and primordiality.
The greatest interest in Fiordland is caused by its natural attractions: fjords, mountain peaks, waterfalls and numerous rivers.
 |
| Fiordland National Park |
The park has a fairly large number of fjords, the largest and most picturesque among which are Dusky, Milford, Brexie, Doubtful, George and others. Lady Bowen, Stirling and Sutherland falls deserve special attention. The average height of the mountain peaks surrounding the "Fiordland" is about 1220 m above sea level, and in the very center several peaks rise into the sky: Lev, Elephant and the highest one - Miter.
Flora and fauna
Oddly enough, human activity has hardly affected the flora of the Fiordland National Park. Almost all of the land is covered here with moist evergreen beech forests, laurels, legcarpe, myrtle trees, tree ferns and other plants. In total, there are over 7000 different species of flora in the park, and 35 of them are very rare. The main feature of the "Fiordland" can be called the fact that it is the only place on the planet where glaciers are almost close to tropical forests.
As for the animal world, first of all it is necessary to mention the birds, the exact number of species of which is still unknown here. Takahe, ueka shepherd boy, kakapo, jumping parrot, shooter, kea, mohua, southern kiwi - just a small fraction of the whole variety of birds. And in the neighborhood, albatrosses, petrels and even penguins live peacefully.
"Fiordland" is a place where incompatible things are combined: tropical thickets give way to snowy peaks and huge glaciers, and colored parrots live next to penguins.
Killer whales, sperm whales, humpback whales, seals and lions, leopard seals and elephants swim in coastal waters. Also in the bays you can see Australian bottlenose dolphins and at least three species of dolphins. The brightest representatives of the fauna on land are couscous and wapiti deer.
 |
| Fiordland National Park |
Note that visitors can not only admire nature, but also relax in the park: fly in a light airplane, swim in a kayak or boat, dive under water, ride a bicycle or jeep, go fishing or visit an underwater observatory.
Practical information
Address: Lakefront Dr, Te Anau 9640. Website
To get to Fjordland, you first need to get to Te Anau, and then to Milford Sound by car (you can rent in Te Anau) or to Manapouri Lake by bus. Another option is to fly to the city of Dandida, and from there - to the town of Glenorchy, which is next to the park. The visit to the park is free.