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Arthur's Pass National Park
Arthur's Pass National Park
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Arthur's Pass National Park is located in the South Island of New
Zealand and covers 1,185 km² of mostly mountainous terrain. The park
is popular for tramping, skiing, hunting and mountaineering.
It was established in 1929, becoming the first national park in the
South Island and the third in New Zealand. It is bisected by State
Highway 73.
The road passes through Arthur's Pass village and the mountain pass
with the same name over the Southern Alps at a height of 920 metres
above sea level. The park is administered by the Department of
Conservation and operate a depot, administration and information
centre in Arthur's Pass village. The park is very distinctly split
by the main divide of the South Island. |
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The eastern side is typically drier and consists of beech forest and
wide riverbeds, while the western side contains dense rainforest.
Much of the geography was formed by ancient glacial action, forming
flat bottomed U-shaped valleys. In the middle is a high range,
consisting of large, snow-covered peaks and scree slopes.
Getting
There
Arthur's Pass National Park is also within a few hours' driving time
of Christchurch, the largest city in the South Island of New
Zealand. This easy access for visitors to New Zealand, as well as
the immediate access to the mountain trails from the village.
Arthur's Pass National
Park is located 97 km away from
Christchurch Airport.
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