Westland temperate rainforest
The Westland temperate rainforest ecoregion is located along the central west coast of New Zealand’s South Island. These forests are found in the Westland District which is bounded on the west by the Tasman Sea, and on the east by the Southern Alps. The Southern Alps run along the coast causing air to be forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air cools its relative humidity rises which causes cloud formation and frequent rain. The Westland forests receive high amounts of precipitation, reaching approximately 3,000 millimeters (120 inches) annually on the coast and exceeding 11,000 millimeters (430 inches) on the mountains. Many glaciers are located in the Westland area. Both the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers extend below the tree line, reaching areas as low as 300 meters above sea level. On a fine day it is a beautiful place to be if you can make peace with the bloodthirsty New Zealand sandfly which thrives in these conditions. Panorama from 5 vertical frames taken from Okarito Trig.
Westland temperate rainforest
The Westland temperate rainforest ecoregion is located along the central west coast of New Zealand’s South Island. These forests are found in the Westland District which is bounded on the west by the Tasman Sea, and on the east by the Southern Alps. The Southern Alps run along the coast causing air to be forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air cools its relative humidity rises which causes cloud formation and frequent rain. The Westland forests receive high amounts of precipitation, reaching approximately 3,000 millimeters (120 inches) annually on the coast and exceeding 11,000 millimeters (430 inches) on the mountains. Many glaciers are located in the Westland area. Both the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers extend below the tree line, reaching areas as low as 300 meters above sea level. On a fine day it is a beautiful place to be if you can make peace with the bloodthirsty New Zealand sandfly which thrives in these conditions. Panorama from 5 vertical frames taken from Okarito Trig.