Glasgow Range
Encyclopedia
The Glasgow Range is a mountain range
on the northern West Coast
of New Zealand
's South Island
. It is north of the Papahaua Range and its most significant river is the Mokihinui River
.
coastline in the foothills are small localities such as Mokihinui
and Seddonville
. Upon the discovery of coal, the Seddonville Branch
railway was built into the foothills in the 1890s, but mining activity declined in the 1970s and the railway closed beyond Ngakawau on 3 May 1981.
, the Powelliphanta lignaria rotella, is found only on the western slopes of the Glasgow Range in the Seddonville area and is considered nationally endangered. Found throughout the range are goat
s, while red deer
were numerous prior to helicopter hunting that was especially popular in the 1970s.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
on the northern West Coast
West Coast, New Zealand
The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. It is north of the Papahaua Range and its most significant river is the Mokihinui River
Mokihinui River
The Mokihinui River is a river located on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, about 40 kilometres north of Westport.- Geography :The Mokihinui River's headwaters are located in the Glasgow Range and its mouth is on the Tasman Sea...
.
History of settlement
The Glasgow Range is largely devoid of settlement, though near the Tasman SeaTasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
coastline in the foothills are small localities such as Mokihinui
Mokihinui
Mokihinui is a lightly populated locality on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.Mokihinui is on the Tasman Sea coastline north of Westport and is on the southern side of the Mokihinui River's mouth...
and Seddonville
Seddonville
Seddonville is a lightly populated locality on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is most famous for the historical role it played in New Zealand's coal mining industry.-Geography:...
. Upon the discovery of coal, the Seddonville Branch
Seddonville Branch
The Seddonville Branch, now truncated and operating as the Ngakawau Branch, is a branch line railway in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. Construction of the line began in 1874 and it reached its final terminus at the Mokihinui Mine just beyond Seddonville in 1895...
railway was built into the foothills in the 1890s, but mining activity declined in the 1970s and the railway closed beyond Ngakawau on 3 May 1981.
Geology and weather
Granite soil of poor fertility characterises the Glasgow Range. The climate is cool, humid, and cloudy. Rainfall averages 5,600-6,400 millimetres and is largely brought by westerly winds. Evaporation is low and snow is common during winter.Wildlife
A rare molluscMollusca
The Mollusca , common name molluscs or mollusksSpelled mollusks in the USA, see reasons given in Rosenberg's ; for the spelling mollusc see the reasons given by , is a large phylum of invertebrate animals. There are around 85,000 recognized extant species of molluscs. Mollusca is the largest...
, the Powelliphanta lignaria rotella, is found only on the western slopes of the Glasgow Range in the Seddonville area and is considered nationally endangered. Found throughout the range are goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s, while red deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
were numerous prior to helicopter hunting that was especially popular in the 1970s.