New Zealand's

National Parks

-In Colour

In New Zealand a lot of scenery has been compressed into a small area and few countries have done more to preserve this natural heritage.

National Parks of New Zea land describes the 10 areas— three in the North Island, seven in the South Island—that have the status of perpetual reserves.

THE National Parks described in the book are: • Urewera in the wild mountain country between the Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay, with big Lake Waikaremoana as its focal point.

O Tongariro, which encloses the volcanic peaks of Mt. Tongariro, Mt. Ruapehu and Mt. Ngauruhoe in 163,000 acres, just south-west of Lake Taupo. • Egmont, of 82,000 acres, sur rounding the symmetry of Mt.

Egmont, which itself dominates the western Province of Taranaki and supplies the watersheds of 31 rivers that nourish the pastoral lands of this rich area. • Abel Tasman, at the tip of the South Island and across Tasman Bay from the provincial city of Nelson. With about 44,000 acres this is the smallest of the parks and its speciality is unspoilt golden beaches. • Nelson Lakes of 140,000 acres, equidistant from the western, eastern and northern coastlines of the South Island. Its highest peak is Mt.

Travers, 7,671 ft. and its main at tractions are the Lakes Rotoroa and Rotoiti, fed by or the source of half a dozen important rivers in cluding the Buller. • Arthur’s Pass which straddles both sides of the main divide of the Southern Alps and provides some of the most beautiful if hair-raising scenery. • Mt. Cook, of 173,000 acres, in which there are 27 peaks of over

10.000 ft including 12,349-ft Mt.

Cook itself. The Mt. Cook Park abuts on: ® Westland National Park of 210.000 acres of rain forest, mountain peaks, and glaciers. • Fiordland, the last but largest of them all, taking up over three million acres of waterways, peaks and rivers and the whole south-west corner of the South Island.

The history, geography and special attractions of each of the Parks is described in detail; there is an excellent map of each area; but the biggest selling point of all in this book is the illustrations. The 70 or so colour plates are magnificently done and as tourist lure have never been bettered.

Perhaps this is why the book is priced at a modest 35/- NZ. For a large art book of this type, it is ridiculously cheap, but strategically distributed about in places where it will do most good, it should pay New Zealand dividends in an in creased flow of tourists.

The book has been written and produced under the direction of the Government Printer, Wellington, NZ.

All concerned in its appearance are to be congratulated.

(National Parks Op New Zealand.

Government Printing Office, Wellington, NZ. 35/-).