The Westland National Park is situated on the South Island of New Zealand. Established in 1960 on the centenary of the European settlement of Westland, this park covers a total area of 1,175 km2 and stretches all the way from the peaks of the Southern Alps to the wild and remote coast. Sharing a border with the Mount Cook National Park, the Westland National Park is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Te Wahipounami.

Recognized as a vital ecological location in the world, this national park is home to two of New Zealand’s most famous glaciers, the Franz Josef Glacier and the Fox Glacier. Unlike the Tasman Glacier, these two glaciers are huge slowly cascading rivers of ice that tumbling down a valley into the Tasman Sea. In this national park you can also find a diverse landscape of dense rainforests and scenic lakes.

If you are interested, short guided walks are offered at the Fox Glacier and the Franz Josef Glacier. There are also several independent longer walks on hand, which offer some wonderful views of the area. One of the most famous walk is the Copland Flats, but only experienced trampers can cross the pass into the Mount Cook National Park.

If you are looking for some adventure activities here you can find some excellent heli-hiking opportunities as well as some wonderful aerial sight seeing tours of the area.

The Westland National Park also offers hunting opportunities for Red Deer, Chamois and Tahr. You can hunt by helicopter as well which provides you with access to the more rugged mountain areas.

Along the coast of the national park you will find scenic lakes and wetlands, where coastal wading birds like the crested grebe and white heron can be seen.