The Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. We had the best time, filled with laughter, walk... Hey guys, Asher here. Content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. http://www.newzealand.com/ca/southern-alps/, http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/national-parks/aoraki-mount-cook/, https://wiki.kidzsearch.com/w/index.php?title=Southern_Alps&oldid=4663842. These mountains are truly world class with towering peaks, fjords, glaciers, skiing, trails, camping, unique wildlife, and superb fly-fishing. All but one of them, Mt. Bush line is around 1,200 to 1,600 meters where it gives way to a subalpine and then alpine environment. is the name of a person in the traditions of the, iwi; an early name for the South Island is. (Aoraki's Canoe). In the south island the collision of these two plates is transverse, meaning that the Australian plate is moving north while the Pacific plate is moving south. The mountains are often obscured by clouds, which is probably why the Maoris called New Zealand "Aotearoa", the long white cloud. These mountains run in a south-west toward north-east direction, roughly following the direction of the south island. Help Improve This Page: Please contact us to become an approved KidzSearch editor and provide your credentials. #1. The tallest peak of the Southern Alps is Aoraki / Mount Cook which stands at 3,754 metres (12,316 ft). I can not wait to read much more from you. #2. Taranaki, and Mt Ngauruhoe). The higher peaks are snow-covered all year round. In this case, New Zealand straddles two plates, the Pacific plate and the Australian plate. The mountain range was named on March 23, 1770 by Captain James Cook. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use Privacy Policy. They are called: Kā Tir... Hey Guys, as you probably know, my class just went on camp to our Capital city, Wellington. It sounded like it was from a small animal. is the highest mountain in New Zealand. i really did learn something new from your post. In class we have been doing NZ artist study, and I have 2 artists I have chosen. The origin of these mountains, similar to the origin of many mountains is plate tectonics. New Zealand’s southern alps are located on the south island of this beautiful country. Cook! Today I have my finished VFX Genius Hour project, with info about VFX and much more. Additionally, the only alpine cicadas in the world live in these mountains. The range includes the South Island's Main Divide, which separates … Thanks for posting! The southern alps are covered in thick vegetation that differs on the eastern and western sides. In the north island this boundary is a subduction zone, which has created many volcanoes. I flicked t... A 'Beary' Good Day The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the bears were driving..