FIORDLAND NATIONAL PARK

park in the southernmost part of South Island, New Zealand. It was established in 1952 and has an area of 4,834 square miles (12,519 square km), making it one of the largest national parks in the world. It is renowned for the rugged grandeur of its fjords (fiords), mountains, forests, waterfalls, and lakes. The park is bordered by the Humboldt, Livingstone, and Takitimu mountains on the east and by the Tasman Sea on all other sides. Te Anau and Manapouri lakes are used for the generation of hydroelectric power. There are limestone caves, and Sutherland Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in the world, drops 1,904 feet (580 m) in three cascades. The Homer Tunnel gives road access to Milford Sound. On the lower slopes of the mountains a rich cover of dense rain forest is found. Red, silver, and mountain beech are common in the park; other trees include rimu, miro, kahikatea, totara, kamahi, and broadleaf. Birds include the bush robin, tit, fantail, parakeet, warbler, tui, and several other varieties. Opossum and stoat introduced in the park are now a menace to other wildlife. Hunting is encouraged to control red deer and the wapiti. Recreational activities include scenic trips, boating, waterskiing, deer stalking, mountaineering, rock climbing, and fishing. The park headquarters are at Te Anau.