There are 14 National Parks in New Zealand
- Te Urewera
2. Egmont
Reaching 2518 metres above sea level, Mt Taranaki is New Zealand's most perfectly formed volcano. It is around 120,000 years old, and last erupted in 1775. Volcanologists agree that the mountain is 'dormant' rather than extinct.
3. Whanganui
This park encloses the wild upper and middle reaches of the Whanganui River, which is New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Beginning beneath the shadow of the central plateau's giant volcanoes, the 329 kilometre river winds its way to the Tasman Sea through an endless procession of forested valleys and hills.
4. Tongariro
The Tongariro National Park encircles the volcanoes of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu. It was gifted to the nation by Maori chief Te Heuheu Tukino IV in 1887. Just over a hundred years later, the park was awarded World Heritage Site status.
5. Abel Tasman
Named for Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who first visited the region in 1642, this national park is New Zealand's smallest - but it's perfectly formed for relaxation and adventure.
6. Kahurangi
In the Maori language, Kahurangi means 'treasured possession' - a clue to the attractions of this large, wild park. Within its boundaries are some of the oldest rocks, strangest plants and rarest birds in New Zealand.
7. Nelson Lakes
A compact area of mountain ranges separated by forested valleys, the Nelson Lakes National Park promises all levels of challenge for keen hikers and mountaineers.
In Maori mythology the lakes were created by the great chief Rakaihaitu digging holes with his ko (digging stick). One hole became Lake Rotoiti (small waters) and the other became Lake Rotoroa (large waters).
The Paparoa National Park was created in 1987, to protect a unique limestone karst environment from mining and forestry. In the interests of science, the boundaries of the park were carefully established to encompass a complete range of landscapes and ecosystems - from the granite and gneiss summits of the Paparoa Range down to the layered rock formations of Punakaiki.
9. Arthur's Pass
Arthur's Pass is the highest pass over the Southern Alps. Long before surveyor Arthur Dudley Dobson found his way over the pass in 1864, it was known to Maori hunting parties as a route between east and west.
The eastern side of Arthur's Pass National Park is characterised by wide, shingle-filled riverbeds and vast beech forests. The western side of the park, where wet weather is more common than dry, has deeply gorged rivers flowing through dense rainforest. Down the middle of 'the great divide' is an alpine dreamland of snow-covered peaks, glaciers and scree slopes.
10. Westland/Tai Poutini
There are more than 60 glaciers in the Westland/Tai Poutini National Park. Two of them - the Fox and the Franz Josef - are the only glaciers in the world to flow down to temperate rainforest.
11. Aoraki/Mount Cook
The Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is alpine in the purest sense - with skyscraping peaks, glaciers and permanent snow fields. Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's tallest mountain, helped Sir Edmund Hillary to develop his climbing skills in preparation for the conquest of Everest.
12. Mount Aspiring
Named for Mt Aspiring, one of New Zealand's highest peaks, this park is a dreamland of mountains, glac
In the past, Maori trekked through the region on their way to the pounamu fields of the west coast; Europeans visited to map, name and explore geographical features of the area; settlers attempted to farm and mine some of the valleys - the relics have blended into the stunning scenery.
For wilderness lovers, the park offers an extensive choice of valley journeys - including the Routeburn Track. In summer, it's possible to walk from one valley to another over spectacular mountain passes.
13. Fiordland
The seaward edge of Fiordland National Park is a series of fourteen massive knife cuts, carved by the glaciers during successive ice ages.
Towering, snow-capped peaks reflect in the midnight blue fingers of ocean that reach into the park's thickly forested interior, where you can find trees that are more than 800 years old. For sheer drama, few places of earth can compete with this remarkable natural environment.
14. Rakiura
Many people think of New Zealand as two islands, when it is actually three. Subantarctic Stewart Island, which lies 30 kilometres south of the South Island, has a land area of nearly 2000 square kilometres, and 85% of it is included within the boundaries of Rakiura National Park.
The most recent addition to New Zealand's nation
