Whanganui-Nationalpark

Founded in 1986 Whanganui National Park (English Whanganui National Park ) protects a 724 km ² of natural state area by the river Whanganui on New Zealand's North Island.

Geography and climate

The Whanganui National Park is located in the heart of a large lowland inside the North Island. From the slopes of the volcano coming Tongariro, the Whanganui River flows through - New Zealand's third longest - in many turns this region. Extends to its middle reaches along both banks of the National Park. The landscape here is partly hilly, partly flat. Although there are no high mountains, the Whanganui River and its tributaries have created quite spectacular terrain formations in some places by erosion. The altitude is about 500-746 m. The local climate is generally temperate, with warm summers, mild to cool winters and average ratios for New Zealand rainfall.

Flora and Fauna

The area of the national park is almost completely forested. The dominant tree species are Podocarpus plants ( conifers in the Southern Hemisphere ) and various indigenous subtropical deciduous trees. At higher altitudes Book prevail. A botanical highlight are tree ferns. The forests on the banks of the Whanganui are the habitat of many native species of songbirds; on the water there is still a rare New Zealand Blue Duck. In the river itself live among other eels, trout, flounder and lamprey.

History

The region around the Whanganui River is sparsely populated; larger cities are missing ( apart from the town Wanganui at the mouth ) in the area completely. Nevertheless played the river, which is New Zealand's longest navigable waterway, a central role in the nation's history. For centuries Māori use it as a transport route between the coast and the inland areas and cultivated land on its shores. Likewise noted the river for the early European settlers as yet no roads existed an important traffic route dar. In 1891 transported regular daily riverboats people and goods up and down the Whanganui. Today, after the waterway has long been replaced by road and rail, the river is a paradise for paddlers who discover each year to thousands of natural beauty and historical sites of the Whanganui National Park from the water.