Mount Aspiring National Park

Named for Mt Aspiring, one of New Zealand's highest peaks, this park, at its heart is a massive dreamland of wilderness - glaciers, snowfields, mountains, valleys and wildlife habitats that require days of hiking to reach. To the west of the divide, where rainfall is plentiful, the beech forest comes with a sound track of birdsong and waterfalls. Deep in the glacier-gouged valleys of the east, grassy river flats are hemmed by imposing mountains. And above the tree line, subalpine gardens of tussock, lichens and dainty flowering herbs survive against all odds.

Rock forms are an unforgettable feature of the park. From the curiously coloured slopes of the Red Hills to the brittle grey schist of the alps, ice ages and huge tectonic upheavals have created beauty with a hard edge.

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.