East of the Taupo plateau and south of Opotiki on the Bay of Plenty are steep thickly-timbered ranges. On the southern frontier of this mountainous tract Waikare Moana extends its arms, the deepest and most beautiful of the larger lakes of the island.
From the mouth of the Waikato southward to about 25 m. from Cape Terawhiti on Cook strait, and for a distance of from 20 to 40 m. inland, the western coast skirts fertile grazing and dairy-farming country. On the east coast the same fertility is seen and, round Hawkes bay, a hotter and drier summer. In the south centre, the upland plain of the Wairarapa has a climate adapted for both grazing and cereals. The butt-end of the island, of rather poor, rough, though well-grassed wind-beaten hills, is redeemed by the fine harbour of Port Nicholson, which vies with the Waitemata in utility to New Zealand commerce. Every where the settler may count on a sufficient rainfall, and—except on the plateau and the mountain highlands—mild winters and genial summers. To pass Cook strait and land in the middle province of South island is to pass from Portugal to Switzerland, a Switzerland, however, which has long fertile plains extending to the coast and giving the highest yield of cereals in New Zea land. As a rule the shores of South island are high and bold enough. They are not too well served with harbours, except along Cook strait, in Banks peninsula, and by the grand but com mercially useless fjords of the south-west. In the last-named region some 15 salt-water gulfs penetrate into the very heart of the mountains, winding amid steep, cloud-capped ranges, and tall, richly-clothed cliffs overhanging their calm waters. The dominating features of south New Zealand are not ferny plateaux or volcanic cones, but stern chains of mountains. There the Southern alps rise range upon range, filling the whole centre, almost or quite touching the western shore, and stretching from end to end of the island. West of the dividing crest they are forest clad; east thereof their stony grimness is but slightly softened by growths of scrub and tussock grass. The rivers are many, even on the drier eastern coast. But, as must be expected in an island but 18o m. across at the widest point and yet showing
ridges capped with perpetual snows, the rivers, large or small, are mountain torrents, now swollen floods, anon half dry. The largest river, the Clutha, though but 8o m. long in its course to the south-east coast, discharges a volume of water estimated at nearly 2,000,000 cu.ft. a minute. On the west the only two rivers of importance are the Buller and the Grey, the former justly famous for the grandem of its gorges. Te Anau and Wakatipu (54 m. long) are the chief lakes in the South though Manapouri is the most romantic. Mt. Cook is easily first among the moun tain peaks. Its height, 12,349 ft., is especially impressive when viewed from the sea off the west coast. On the north-east a double range, the Kaikouras, scarcely fall short of the Southern alps in height and beauty. Apart from the fjords and lakes the chief beauties of the Alps are glaciers and waterfalls. The Tas man glacier is 18 m. long and has an average width of I+ m. ; the Murchison glacier is io m. in length. To the west of Mt. Cook the Franz Joseph glacier crawls into the forest as low as 400 ft. above sea-level. Among waterfalls the Sutherland is 1,904 ft. high, but has less volume than the Bowen and others. The finest mountain gorge, the Otira, is also the chief railway route from the east to the west coast. Generally the open and readily avail able region of South island extends from the Kaikouras along the east and south-east coast to the river Waiau in Southland. It has a mean breadth of some 3o miles. In compensation the coal and gold, which form the chief mineral wealth, are found in the broken and less practicable west and centre.