Von Haast was at the vanguard of a flood of travelers who have flocked from afar ever since, to see the dramatic frozen seam and its sister the Fox Glacier, that plunge from the
Southern Alps of New Zealand's South Island, through the lush rainforest below.
So, instead, we drove further down through breathtaking scenery through the
Southern Alps, with glacier water rivers flowing on the roadsides.
South Island has the
Southern Alps along its west coast, with Mount Cook as the highest point.
We tested these for 14 days in the
Southern Alps of New Zealand and did not find them lacking in any way.
Kea - the world's only alpine parrots thrive in the freezing conditions of the
Southern Alps NEW Zealand's breathtaking scenery and landscapes have been used as the setting for various big-budget films over recent years, including Wolverine, The World's Fastest Indian, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Whale Rider, The Piano and, of course, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit sagas.
THE twisting two-hour drive from France's Mediterranean coast into the
southern Alps was unforgettable.
First, we encased inexpensive (<US$70) archival GPS dataloggers (~19 g) in bite-proof housing, and then we evaluated the effects of the devices on the study animals and their operational performance during field trials (n = 14) on wild-caught kea (Nestor notahilis), a large (~1 kg) parrot endemic to the
Southern Alps of New Zealand.
The researchers used detailed mapping and beryllium-10 surface exposure dating of ice-age moraines--rocks deposited when glaciers move --in New Zealand's
Southern Alps, where the glaciers were much bigger in the past.
Among specific topics are older mountain chains in Europe, Palaeozoic sediments in the Eastern and
Southern Alps, the Mesozoic rock suites, late Cretaceous and Paleogene flyschs, the deep structure of the Alps, uplift and erosion, and Pleistocene glaciation.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Winter has rolled into its third month in New Zealand, and Nick Jarman says he's going stir crazy as he stares out at the driving rain on the small ski area he manages in the
Southern Alps.
The first part of his historic journey is now named the Route Napoleon and runs from the shores of the Mediterranean to Grenoble in the
Southern Alps.
Highlights include an off-road adventure from Akaroa to the foothills of the
Southern Alps, immersion in the rich history of M ori culture, and two days exploring Macquarie Island, Australia's sub-Antarctic jewel.