Protected areas of New Zealand
Encyclopedia
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...
is in public ownership and has some degree of protection. The level of protection varies according to the land status.
Protected areas
The Department of ConservationNew Zealand Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...
administers the majority of the publicly owned land in 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...
that is protected for scenic, scientific, historic and cultural reasons, or set aside for recreational purposes. More than 80,000 km2 – nearly 30 percent of the nation's total area – is administered by the department.
There are 14 national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s, covering just under 25,000 km2, 20 forest parks covering some 18,000 km2, about 3,500 reserves covering around 15,000 km2, and some 610 km2 of protected private land and covenants that have been set aside for scenic, scientific or ecological reasons. The department also has responsibility for the preservation and management of wildlife, and has a role in management of the coastal marine area with 19 marine reserves
Marine reserves of New Zealand
New Zealand has over thirty marine reserves spread around the North, the South Island, and neighbouring islands, and another two on outlying island groups...
and two other protected marine areas from the Kermadec Islands
Kermadec Islands
The Kermadec Islands are a subtropical island arc in the South Pacific Ocean northeast of New Zealand's North Island, and a similar distance southwest of Tonga...
to Fiordland
Fiordland
Fiordland is a geographic region of New Zealand that is situated on the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the western-most third of Southland. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps, deep lakes and its ocean-flooded, steep western valleys...
.
Forest parks
- Aorangi Forest Park
- Catlins Forest Park
- Coromandel Forest Park
- Craigieburn Forest ParkCraigieburn Forest ParkCraigieburn Forest Park is a protected area in the South Island of New Zealand.One of its boundaries lies in part alongside State Highway 73 and is adjacent to the eastern flanks of the Southern Alps....
- Hanmer Forest Park
- Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park
- Kaimanawa Forest Park
- Kaweka Forest ParkKaweka Forest ParkKaweka Forest Park is in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand.Invasive wilding conifers are present in the park.The Mangatutu Hot Springs, in the vicinity of the Mohaka River, are in the park.-External links:* - Kaweka Forest Park...
- Lake Sumner Forest ParkLake Sumner Forest Parkthumb|right|Gabriel hut at lake Sumner Forest ParkLake Sumner Forest Park is located in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand.-External links:* - Lake Sumner Conservation Park* - Lake Sumner Forest Park tramping tracks...
- Mount Richmond Forest Park
- Northland Forest Park
- Otago Goldfields Forest Park
- Pirongia Forest Park
- Pureora Forest ParkPureora Forest ParkPureora Forest Park is a protected area in the North Island of New Zealand. Within its rich rain forest are an abundance of 1000 year old podocarp trees. It is “recognized as one of the finest rain forests in the world”...
- Raukumara Forest Park
- Rimutaka Forest ParkRimutaka Forest ParkRimutaka Forest Park is a protected area near Wellington, New Zealand. It covers , encompassing the Catchpool Valley and the Orongorongo Valley at the southern end of the Rimutaka Range...
- Ruahine Forest Park
- Tararua Forest ParkTararua Forest ParkTararua Forest Park is a protected area in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Its area is 116,535 ha , and its highest point, a peak called Mitre, is at 1571 m above sea level. It was established in 1954, as New Zealand's first Forest Park, and is managed by the Department of Conservation ...
- Victoria Forest Park
- Whirinaki Forest ParkWhirinaki Forest ParkWhirinaki Forest Park is a publicly accessible forest park in the North Island of New Zealand. The park is centered around the town of Minginui and part of the eastern boundary flanks the Urewera National Park....
Mainland islands
The Department of Conservation have set up five mainland islands:- Boundary Stream Mainland Island
- Paengaroa Mainland Island
- Rotoiti Mainland Island
- Te Urewera Mainland Island
- Trounson Kauri Park Mainland Island
Marine reserves
New ZealandNew 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...
has a total of 32 marine reserve
Marine reserve
For the United States Marine Corps Reserve see: Marine Forces ReserveA marine reserve is an area of the sea which has legal protection against fishing or development. This is to be distinguished from a marine park, but there is some overlap in usage...
s spread around the North
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
and South
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...
Islands, and two on outlying island groups. The first marine reserve was created in 1975.
National parks
There are 14 national parkNational park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s, covering just under 25,000 km2.
- Abel Tasman National ParkAbel Tasman National ParkAbel Tasman National Park is a national park located at the north end of the South Island of New Zealand. The park was founded in 1942, largely through the efforts of ornithologist and author Perrine Moncrieff to have land reserved for the purpose. With a coverage of only 225.3 square kilometres,...
- Aoraki/Mount Cook National ParkAoraki/Mount Cook National ParkAoraki/Mount Cook National Park is in the South Island of New Zealand near the town of Twizel. Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain and Aoraki/Mount Cook village lie within the park...
- Arthur's Pass National ParkArthur's Pass National ParkArthur's Pass National Park is located in the South Island of New Zealand.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...
- Egmont National ParkEgmont National ParkEgmont National Park is located south of New Plymouth, close to the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the mountain which dominates its environs, which itself was named by Captain Cook after John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont, the First Lord of the Admiralty who...
- Fiordland National ParkFiordland National ParkFiordland National Park occupies the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest of the 14 national parks in New Zealand, with an area of 12,500 km², and a major part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site...
- Kahurangi National ParkKahurangi National ParkKahurangi National Park is a national park in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. It was gazetted in 1996 and covers 4,520 km². It is the second largest of New Zealand's fourteen national parks...
- Mount Aspiring National ParkMount Aspiring National ParkMount Aspiring National Park is located in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand, north of Fiordland National Park, and between Otago and south Westland. The park forms part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site.-Geography:...
- Nelson Lakes National ParkNelson Lakes National ParkNelson Lakes National Park is located in the South Island of New Zealand.It was formed in 1956 and covers some 1,020 km². It is centered at two large lakes, Rotoiti and Rotoroa. The park also includes surrounding valleys and mountain ranges...
- Paparoa National ParkPaparoa National ParkPaparoa National Park is on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand.It was established in 1987 and encompasses 306 km². The park ranges from on or near the coastline to the peak of the Paparoa Ranges. A separate section of the park is to the north and is centered at Ananui Creek.The...
- Rakiura National ParkRakiura National ParkRakiura National Park is a nature reserve park located on Stewart Island/Rakiura, New Zealand. It is the 14th of New Zealand's national parks and was officially opened on 9 March 2002. It covers 1,570 km², which is about 85% of Stewart Island, New Zealand's third-largest island...
- Te Urewera National ParkTe Urewera National ParkTe Urewera National Park is one of fourteen national parks within New Zealand and is the largest of the four in the North Island. Covering an area of approximately 2,127 km², it is in the north east of the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island....
- Tongariro National ParkTongariro National ParkTongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand, located in the central North Island. It has been acknowledged by UNESCO as one of the 28 mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Sites....
- Westland Tai Poutini National Park
- Whanganui National ParkWhanganui National ParkThe Whanganui National Park is a national park located in the North Island of New Zealand. Established in 1986, it covers an area of 742 km² bordering the Whanganui River. It incorporates areas of Crown land, former state forest and a number of former reserves. The river itself is not part of the...
Regional parks
Regional parks of New Zealand are administered by regional councilRegional Council
Regional Council or regional council may refer to the following:*Regional Council *Regional Council, Hong Kong*Regional council *Regional Council - the Parliament of a Regione of Italy*Regional councils in New Zealand...
s.
Wetlands
New Zealand is a signatory to the Ramsar ConventionRamsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
, and as of 2008 there are six Ramsar-registered sites in New Zealand:
- Farewell SpitFarewell SpitFarewell Spit is a narrow sand spit situated at , at the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand. Known to the Māori as Tuhuroa, it runs eastwards from Cape Farewell, the island's northernmost point...
- Firth of ThamesFirth of ThamesThe Firth of Thames is a large bay located in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the firth of the rivers Waihou and Piako, the former of which was formerly named the Thames River, and the town of Thames lies on its southeastern coast....
- Kopuatai Peat DomeKopuatai Peat DomeThe Kopuatai Peat Dome is a wetland on the Hauraki Plains in New Zealand.The 10,201 ha wetland was listed under the Ramsar Convention in 1989 as a Wetland of International Importance...
- Manawatu RiverManawatu RiverThe Manawatu River is a major river of the southern North Island of New Zealand.The river has its headwaters to the northwest of Norsewood in the Ruahine Ranges of southern Hawke's Bay. It flows initially eastward before turning south-west near Ormondville, flowing 40 km before turning...
mouth and estuary - Waituna Lagoon
- Whangamarino
Travis Wetland
Travis Wetland
Travis Wetland is an ecological restoration programme in the suburb of Burwood in Christchurch, New Zealand.It covers 116 ha of land formerly drained and used as a dairy farm...
is an ecological restoration project in Christchurch that was purchased by the city council as a nature reserve.
World Heritage sites
There are three World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
s in New Zealand:
- Te WahipounamuTe WahipounamuTe Wāhipounamu is a World Heritage site in the south west corner of the South Island of New Zealand.Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1990 and covering 26,000 km², the site incorporates several National Parks:...
- Tongariro National ParkTongariro National ParkTongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand, located in the central North Island. It has been acknowledged by UNESCO as one of the 28 mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Sites....
- New Zealand sub-antarctic islandsNew Zealand sub-antarctic islandsThe five southernmost groups of the New Zealand Outlying Islands form the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic islands. These islands are collectively designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site....
Other protected areas
- JM Barker (Hapupu) Historic ReserveJM Barker (Hapupu) Historic ReserveJM Barker National Historic Reserve is 33 hectares of kopi forest which was created to protect Moriori tree carvings called momori-rakau ....
- Karori Wildlife SanctuaryKarori Wildlife SanctuaryZealandia, formerly known as the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, is a protected natural area in Wellington, New Zealand, where the biodiversity of 225 ha of forest is being restored...
- Maungatautari Restoration ProjectMaungatautari Restoration ProjectThe Maungatautari Restoration Project is the largest ecological restoration project in New Zealand, located near Cambridge in the Waikato region in the central North Island of New Zealand....
- Mount Tutu Eco-SanctuaryMount Tutu Eco-SanctuaryMount Tutu Eco-Sanctuary in Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand, between Tauranga and Rotorua, is a Mainland Island Sanctuary, protected by the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Act 1977 since 1993...
- Nugget PointNugget PointNugget Point is one of the most iconic landforms on the Otago coast. Located at the northern end of the Catlins coast down the road from Kaka Point, this steep headland has a lighthouse at its tip, surrounded by rocky islets...
- Orokonui EcosanctuaryOrokonui EcosanctuaryOrokonui Ecosanctuary, called Te Korowai o Mihiwaka in Māori, is an ecological island wildlife reserve being developed by the Otago Natural History Trust in the Orokonui Valley near Waitati, New Zealand, 20 km to the north of central Dunedin....
- Lake RotokareLake RotokareLake Rotokare is a natural lake in the New Zealand region of Taranaki. It is located 12 km east of Eltham in the 212 ha Rotokare Scenic Reserve.- History :...
, Taranaki - Tiritiri Matangi IslandTiritiri Matangi IslandTiritiri Matangi Island lies in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, east of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula in the North Island and north east of Auckland. The island is an open nature reserve managed under the supervision of the Department of Conservation and is noted for its bird life, including kiwi...
External links
- Department of Conservation
- Protected areas databases at Landcare Research