10 Most Beautiful National Parks in New Zealand

10 Most Beautiful National Parks in New Zealand

10 Most Beautiful Places National Parks New Zealand

1. Fiordland National Park

Fiordland National Park (established in 1952) is a vast, remote wilderness and the heart of Te Wāhipounamu - South West New Zealand World Heritage Area which was recognised by UNESCO in 1990 as an area of outstanding natural value. The park gains renowned as the home of Mitre Peak and the Fiords of Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound. Also well know are the Great Walks (the Milford Track, Routeburn Track, and Kepler Tracks). Southwest New Zealand is one of the great wilderness areas of the Southern Hemisphere. It is an area where snow-capped mountains, rivers of ice, deep lakes, unbroken forests and tussock grasslands produce a landscape of exceptional beauty. Some of the best examples of animals and plants, which were once found on the ancient super-continent of Gondwana, still exist here. The park spans an area of 12,500 km² is the largest National Park in New Zealand and administered by the Department of Conservation.

2. Abel Tasman National Park

Abel Tasman National Park covers an area of 225 km², is the smallest national park in New Zealand. This national park is located in the stunning Tasman Bay region at the top of the South Island, and the nearest towns are Motueka, Takaka and Kaiteriteri. With subtropical weather, turquoise waters, sheltered inlets, secluded beaches of golden sand and famous Abel Tasman Coastal Track has made it become one of the most popular tourists destination. Sea kayaks and coastal track walks are the most popular activities while visiting to the Abel Tasman National Park where visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of this picturesque piece of coastline.

3. Westland / Tai Poutini National Park

Westland / Tai Poutini National Park (established in 1960) is located on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It stretches from the majestic Southern Alps down to the rugged west coast and encompasses stunning glaciers and a vast range of bird life. There are over 60 glaciers within the park boundary including the famous Fox and Franz Josef glaciers, which are the only glaciers in the world to flow down to temperate rain forest. The park has been designated world heritage status. Rare and endangered bird species live in the park including the crested grebe (kotuku) at Lake Mapourika and the Okarito brown kiwi (rowi) in lowland forests. The park is 127,541 hectares in size. 

4. Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park

The Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park is located in the central part of the South Island. It is a harsh land of ice and rock where the glaciers cover most of the area. These glaciers have helped shape the park's landscape include five major valley systems, namely Godley, Murchison, Tasman, Hooker and Mueller. The Tasman Glacier is the New Zealand's largest and longest glacier which is clearly visible from the main highway at the entrance of the park. There are 19 peaks over 3,000 m, including of course New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki / Mount Cook (3,754 m). The park is also part of Te Waipounamu - South Westland World Heritage Area in recognition of its outstanding natural values.

5. Tongariro National Park

Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand, and also the forth oldest in the world which was established in 1887. Home to three of the world’s most active live volcanoes, Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe, Tongariro National Park covers 796 km² of the North Islands volcanic plateau, creating an environment rich in beauty, history and geological fascination. The park is a dual World Heritage site, protected for both its natural and cultural significance. Herb groves and beech forests give way to barren tussock-dotted desert and stark grey lava flow mountains slope away from their snowy peaks to broad plateaus where hot springs steam and bubble. Beside the breathtaking views, Tongariro National Park also provides a range of adventures through all seasons. Two of New Zealand’s largest ski fields, Whakapapa and Turoa, are on the magnificent slopes of Mount Ruapehu and skiing and snowboarding here has the added attraction of fun on an active volcano.

6. Arthur's Pass National Park

Arthur's Pass National Park was established in 1929 as the first national park in the South Island and the third in New Zealand. It's a popular destination for tramping, skiing and mountaineering, located in the heart of the Southern Alps. Its high mountains with large scree slopes, steep gorges and wide braided rivers, straddles the main divide of the South Island – between Canterbury and the West Coast. It’s a park of contrasts, with dry beech forest in the east, luxuriant rain forest on western slopes, and a historic highway and railway running through the middle. The mountains around Arthur's Pass contain some very challenging terrain and the tracks are often very steep. Amongst the fourteen national parks, the Arthur's Pass National Park is the most dangerous in  New Zealand.

7. Nelson Lakes National Park

Nelson Lakes National Park is located in the north of the South Island of New Zealand. The park covers 1,020 km² of the northern most Southern Alps. It offers several peaceful and charming environments including tranquil beech forest, craggy mountains, clear streams and two beautiful lakes Rotoiti and Rotorua. It is renowned for its magical honeydew beech forests, which feed a variety of native birds. The Department of Conservation is actively working in the park to create a pest-free sanctuary that will support greater numbers of kaka, kakariki and bush robins, as well as giant snails and native bats.

8. Te Urewera National Park

Te Urewera National Park spans 212,672 hectares, and lies between the Plenty and Hawkes Bay. It is the largest national park in North Islands and the fourth largest in New Zealand which was established in 1954. Te Urewera National Park has the largest forested wilderness left on the North Island. To the south of the park there are two of the park’s famous treasures – Lake Waikaremoana is noted for its scenic shoreline and waterfalls, and there is a smaller lake, Waikareiti. A huge landslide created these over 2000 years ago, which blocked the path of the river, creating the lakes. Beside the scenic environments, the park has some interesting things to do including a visit to the Aniwaniwa Museum which shows a lot of natural and cultural history of the area. The visitors can also do the most popular Lake Waikaremoana Track walk which is considered one of New Zealand's Great Walks.

9. Whanganui National Park

The Whanganui National Park is situated between the towns of Wanganui and Taumarunui in the central North Island of New Zealand. It was established in 1986 and covers an area of 742 km². It has an immense lowland forest, beautiful valley and many native plants and bird species include tui, kereru, fantail and tomtit. The centrepiece of the national park is the Whanganui River, one of the great waterways of New Zealand. The river starts in the Tongariro volcanic range and meanders all the way down to the Tasman Sea at Whanganui. The most popular activity in this national park is kayaking along the river which provides a great opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of flora and fauna.

10. Egmont National Park

Egmont National Park is on the western coast of New Zealand's North Island. It was established as a national park in 1900 and covers an area of 33,534 hectares. Here the volcano Taranaki (or Mt Egmont as it is also known) rules supreme standing tall above the surrounding landscape. Beside it are two volcanoes of an earlier era: Kaitake and Pouakai. In good weather it is a challenging climb for the fit and well prepared. For those wanting a more relaxing experience there are beautiful walks through verdant forest to waterfalls, wetlands and excellent viewpoints. Standing as it does in isolation from other mountains it is one of the best parks from which to get an elevated view of another New Zealand – the rural heartland.

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10 Most Beautiful Places in Mongolia

10 Most Beautiful Places in Mongolia

10 Most Beautiful Places Mongolia

1. Gorkhi-Terelj National Park

Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, about 80km north-east of Ulaanbaatar in the region of Tov Aimag, is a deservedly popular destination. At 1600m, the area is cool and the alpine scenery is magnificent. Terelj was first developed for tourism in 1964 and 30 years later it became part of the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. One of the most visited sights within the National Park is the Turtle Rock, (Melkhii Khad in Mongolian) which is one of many rock formations, that is shaped like a turtle.

2. Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve

Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve, 130km east-southeast of Ulaanbaatar, is the state combined from diversity of ecosystem although it owns comparatively small area. The harmonized complex of high mountains, steppes, rivers, lakes and wetlands as well are kept enough as its original condition. Whoever visiting enjoys to see Gun-Galuut vast steppe seems to meet the sky, the imposing mountains Baits and Berkh, a home land of rare creatures, Ikh-Gun and Ayaga lakes, a paradise of birds, Kherlen, the longest river of Mongolia and Tsengiin Burd wetland, in where water and wetland birds lay their eggs.

3. Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park

Khorgo-Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National park was established to protect the spectacular mountain scenery and endangered species of fauna and flora since 1965. The park covers 773km² territory, which has Khorgiin Togoo (the extinct volcano), beautiful Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur lakes, a great number of animals and birds, and is definitely one of the best natural tourist attractions.

4. Chuluut River

The Chuluut (stony river) is a river flowing down through the valleys of the Khangai Mountains in central Mongolia, and a tributary of the Ideriin gol. It is 415km long, the width at the mouth into the Ider river is 80m, the maximum depth is 3m. It is usually frozen from November to April. This river locates at 30km from Tariat soum of Arkhangai province. Chuluut canyon stretches 25km in long, above 20m in high.

5. Lake Huvsgul

Known as the “Dark blue pearl” of Mongolia, lake Huvsgul is one of the country’s largest lakes and it features one of the most spectacular areas of the country. Bordered to the north by Sayan Mountain and to the west by the Horidol Saridag Range, the lake is 136km long and 36km wide stretching from north to south. Huvsgul is the 14th largest freshwater lake in the world by volume and its 380 cubic km of water make up over 1% of the world’s fresh water. The lake is elevated at 1,645m above sea level and, its deepest, the lake is 262m from its surface to bottom. Huvsgul shares many similarities in origin, flora and fauna with Russia’s Baikal Lake, which lies 200km to the east and is connected to Huvsgul by Egiin River. About a hundred rivers and streams pour into Huvsgul lake, but only the Egiin River exits the lake.

6. Altai Tavan Bogd National Park

In Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, snow capped mountains, glacial valleys, forests and beautiful lakes and rivers create a majestic setting. In the north of the park, Khuiten peak (4374m, the highest point of Mongolia) of the Altai Tavan Bogd Mountains and the Potuninii Glacier (23km²) draw alpine enthusiasts from around the world. This park extends over 6,300km² of land, including Altai, Sagsai, Ulaanhus and Tsengel soums. There are about 35 glaciers in the Altai Tavan Bogd including Potaninii Glacier. Throughout the park fishing, hiking canoeing, camping and horseback and camel riding are possible. In addition to recreational activities, the park is rich in archaeological sites including petroglyphs, Turkic men stone and burial mounds.

7. Bayanzag

One of the famous places is Bayanzag, bottom of Ancient Sea which excited 60-70 million years ago where a lot of Paleontological findings have been discovered. The place is known as Flaming Cliffs so named by Roy Andrew Chapman American explorer, who had visited Mongolia in 1920. During the two years of searching through the Mongolian Gobi Desert, the dinosaur fossils have been found from Bayanzag, Nemekht Mountain. He brought his paleontological findings on 70 camels. Chapman presented Mongolia one large skeleton on show in the Ulaanbaatar Natural History Museum. He found 10 kinds of dinosaurs 8 were found from Mongolia.

8. Khongor Sand Dunes

Lying around 180km from Dalanzadgad, the sand dunes of Khongor is known as the ''singing sands'' and when the wind blows over the dunes it makes strange sound like the high-pitched tone of an aeroplane engine about to take off or land. These dunes are largest accumulation of sand in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park, covering 965km². They rise abruptly from the plain reaching a height of 800m and extend over 6-12km wide by extending for 150km long. The spectacular dunes are bordered by lush green vegetation supported by a small river Khongoriin gol, which is fed by underground sources from surrounding mountains. Swept into constantly varying shapes by the wind, parts of their attraction is the impressive colors that the yellow-white sands take on with the changing light of day.

9. Yoliin Am Valley

Yoliin am valley is located in east Beauty Mountain of the “Gobi three beauty” and has a particular beauty with narrow paths broadening in places between rocks, while buzzards and eagles wheel and glide in the blue skies above and preserved area of east Beauty Mountain is 64km². The cliffs of the canyon block the sunlight from the rivers below, so that they remain frozen throughout the year. Even summer time there is a more than meter high ice between canyons and standing over the ice cover you can hear streams of water rushing under your feet. Yoliin am valley is named by Yol bird.

10. Dornod Mongolia Steppe

Thankfully, authorities have been convinced that the area's fragile environment and endangered fauna and flora need to be conserved. Dornod is currently the base of a multi-million dollar environmental protection project, which is researching everything from fires to field mice in an attempt to protect one of the world's last undisturbed grasslands. Three large Strictly Protected Areas (SPA) were established in the aimag in 1992:-

• Dornod Mongol (5,704km²). Holds one of the last great plain ecosystems on earth, protecting seas of feather grass steppe and 70% of Mongolia's white-tailed gazelle, which roam in herds of up to 20,000.


• Degee Nomrog (3,112km²). An unpopulated area, which contains rare species of moose, cranes, otter and bears. Ecologically distinct from the rest of Mongolia, the area takes in the transition zone from the Eastern Mongolian steppe to the mountains and forest of Manchuria. It is proposed that the park expand eastwards.


• Mongol Daguur (1,030km²). The reserve is divided into two parts; the northern half is hill steppe and wetland bordering on Russia's Tarij Nuur and Daurski Reserve, protecting endemic species like the Daurian hedgehog; the southern area along the Uuiz Gol protects white-naped crane (tsen togoruu) and other endangered birds. The area is part of a one-million hectare international reserve, linking the Siberian taiga with the Inner Asian steppe.

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