Te-Urewera-Nationalpark

The Te - Urewera National Park ( Te Urewera National Park in English ) was founded in 1954 to protect the largest remaining pristine forests on New Zealand's North Island. It stretches between Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay in the east of the island has an area of ​​2127 km ², making it the largest national park in the northern part of New Zealand. Its height reaches 1393 m.

The park is located in one of the most remote and sparsely populated regions of New Zealand, in a largely undisturbed, almost completely forested wilderness could claim. The terrain of the Te Urewera is dominated by the mountain ranges and Huiau Ikawhenua; the highest peak in the national park is the Manuhoa with 1393 m. There you will find traces of earlier geologic volcanic eruptions. Numerous lakes, rivers and waterfalls contribute to a large variety of landscapes. Depending on the terrain relief and altitude the climate varies in the National Park at generally moderate temperatures with high rainfall. In the southern part falls at higher elevations in winter snow.

The vegetation varies greatly depending on location, altitude, soil conditions, etc.. The predominant tree species are beech, Rimu, Rata and Tawa ( Beilschmiedia tawa ). The wildlife of the Te Urewera National Park, characterized in particular by the fact that here a number of rare bird species occur that are extinct in other parts of New Zealand or endangered. One of them is for example the rare Saumschnabelente, also called blue duck that lives only in fast-flowing waters.