Te Wahipounamu
A World Heritage area covering about 2.6 million hectares in the south west of the South Island. It joins Fiordland, Aoraki Mount Cook, Westland Tai Poutini and Mount Aspiring national parks into one great stretch of glaciers, fiords and rainforest.
- Where
- Haast, Southland, New Zealand
- Grade
- UNESCO heritage
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 8 for its grade
- Coordinates
- -45.0360, 167.3200
Get the Te Wahipounamu stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Te Wahipounamu. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Southland volume with your photos and a note.
Near Te Wahipounamu
Fiordland National Park 39 km
A vast national park in the south west corner of the South Island, covering 12,607 square kilometres and making it the largest in New Zealand. Deep glacier carved fiords such as Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound cut into its steep rainforest and mountains.
Doubtful Sound / Patea 41 km
A fiord in Fiordland, about three times longer than Milford Sound and far quieter. Captain Cook named it Doubtful Harbour in 1770 because he doubted he could sail out again. It is reached by boat across Lake Manapouri and then by road over Wilmot Pass.
Sutherland Falls 42 km
A waterfall in Fiordland above Lake Quill, measured at 580 metres and made up of three drops. It can be seen from the Milford Track, and Donald Sutherland, who found it in 1880, gave it its name.
Lake Te Anau 42 km
The second largest lake in New Zealand by surface area, at the gateway to Fiordland. Glowworm caves on the western shore can be visited by boat, and the lake is the start of the Kepler and Milford tracks.
Kepler Track 46 km
A 60 kilometre circular hiking track near the town of Te Anau, within Fiordland National Park. The route crosses rocky mountain tops, beech forest, glacial valleys and the shores of Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri.
Mitre Peak 62 km
A sharp mountain that rises 1,692 metres straight out of Milford Sound, so named because its summit looks like a bishop's mitre. It is the most photographed peak in Fiordland, and was first climbed in 1911.
Milford Sound / Piopiotahi 64 km
A fiord in Fiordland National Park, carved by glaciers and lined with cliffs rising over a kilometre from the water. Mitre Peak and the Lady Bowen and Stirling Falls make it one of the most photographed places in New Zealand.
Routeburn Track 75 km
A 32 kilometre tramping track in the South Island that crosses the Southern Alps and can be walked in either direction. One end is near the head of Lake Wakatipu on the Queenstown side, and the other is on the Te Anau side.
More UNESCO World Heritage sites in Southland
Questions
Where is Te Wahipounamu?
Te Wahipounamu is in Haast, Southland, New Zealand. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Fiordland National Park (39 km), Doubtful Sound / Patea (41 km), Sutherland Falls (42 km).
How do I get the Te Wahipounamu stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Te Wahipounamu and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Southland volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Te Wahipounamu before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Southland volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 40 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.