New Zealand National Parks

There are 14 national parks in New Zealand and over a third of the country is a park or reserve. The parks are administered by the Department of Conservation.

The parks encompass a vast array of landscapes, vegetation and wildlife. There are a popular place for New Zealanders and tourists alike.

Each park has its own feel or character - here is a list of the national parks with their various highlights

• Te Urewera National Park - the largest forested wilderness in the North Island.
• Tongariro National Park - volcanoes, lakes and desert-like regions.
• Whanganui National Park - the Whanganui River is the main attraction of this park
• Egmont National Park - situated on the west coast of the north island, Mt. Egmont its impressive central feature
• Abel Tasman National Park - stunning, secluded beaches and a wonderful coastal track.
• Kahurangi National Park - a beautiful wilderness situated at the top of the South Island
• Nelson Lakes National Park - stunning lakes surrounded by beech forest and wonderful mountain views
• Paparoa National Park - a wild region on the West Coast
• Arthur's Pass National Park - situated on a remote pass surrounded by the Southern Alps
• Aoraki National Park - a stunning area around the highest peak in New Zealand, Mt. Cook
• Westland National Park - glaciers, mountains and rainforest
• Mt. Aspiring National Park - lies at the southern end of the Alps, more stunning mountain views
• Fiordland National Park - a remote wilderness at the southern tip of New Zealand, wild and uninhabited
• Rakiura National Park - the most recent of the national parks, covers most of Stewart Island