National Parks

Approximately one third of New Zealand's land mass is publicly owned conservation land, and 30% of that has national park status. National parks have the highest level of protection of publicly owned conservation land.

A national park is a large area (at least 10,000 hectares) that contains scenery of such distinctive quality, ecological systems or natural features so beautiful, unique, or scientifically important that their preservation is in the national interest.

New Zealand has 14 national parks, established from 1887 to 2001.

Forest & Bird was formed in 1923 and has played a key role in the creation of every national park since then.

National Park (year established) - area in hectares:
Tongariro (1887) - 79,598 ha
Egmont (1900) - 33,543 ha
Arthur's Pass (1929) - 114,394 ha
Abel Tasman (1942) - 22,541 ha
Fiordland (1952) - 1,257,000 ha
Mt Cook / Aoraki (1953) - 70,728 ha
Te Urewera (1954) - 212,673 ha
Nelson Lakes (1956) - 101,753 ha
Westland (1960) - 117,607 ha
Mt Aspiring (1964) - 355,543 ha
Whanganui (1986) - 74,231 ha
Paparoa (1987) - 30,560 ha
Kahurangi (1996) - 452,000 ha
Stewart Island / Rakiura (2001) - 163,000 ha

Total area = 3,085,171 hectares

This page was updated on 17 March, 2008