Everyone knows that New Zealand consists of three islands, situate between the 34th and 47th degrees of south latitude, off the south-east coast of Australia. Reference to almost any handbook of the colony will furnish every information regarding settlement, population, government, climate, and so on, and I do not propose to dwell longer than is necessary on any general matters of this nature.
It is advisable, however, to describe in as brief and concise a manner as possible the general physical features of a country containing such varieties of scenery and climate, more especially those of the South Island (or Middle Island as it is sometimes called), where the High Alps and their wonderful glaciers are situated.
Speaking generally, the highest mountains of New Zealand may be said to run in a north-easterly direction from the southernmost point of the South Island through the whole country, like a vast backbone, to the north-eastern point of the North Island.
The main formation of the mountains dates back to Jurassic times, so that the geological structure may be said to be one of great antiquity.
Volcanic action has long since ceased throughout the South Island; but there are many active volcanoes in the North, where a perfect wonderland of hot-springs, solfataras, and silica terraces exists.
As a whole, the country is heavily timbered—more thickly on the western parts, where the greater rainfall occurs. This is notably the case in the South Island, where the hot and moisture laden winds from tropical regions are deprived by the Alpine chain of their aqueous vapour.
The Southern Alps proper may be said to extend over a distance of about one hundred miles of the middle part of the South Island, the chain being situated closer to the western than the eastern ocean. The slopes on the western side are the more precipitous, and are clothed with heavy timber and intersected by innumerable mountain torrents, fed in most cases by glaciers, some of which descend to within 600 feet of sea-level.
Ranges of outlying foot-hills occur on the eastern side, snow-covered in winter, amongst which many large glacier-fed rivers have cut their way, and meander over the plains (probably of entirely fluviatile formation) which slope gradually from the outer bases of the foot-hills to the eastern ocean.
The peaks of the Alps range in height from 7,000 to 12,350 feet above sea-level, the majority of those over 10,000 feet being contiguous to the culminating point in altitude—Aorangi—more popularly known as Mount Cook. Here also are found the largest glaciers.
The snow-line is a low one when compared with that of Alpine countries in the northern hemisphere and in relative latitudes. It would be difficult to compute its average altitude, but in parts where large glaciers and snow-fields exist it is even as low as 5,000 feet above sea-level.