Latest news with #SouthIsland
Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Telegraph
The world's greatest national parks
National parks come in all shapes, sizes, topographies and ecosystems. But they're uniformly great. Why? Because they preserve the planet's best wild bits, encompassing Mother Nature at her most show-off: spewing geysers, massive mountains, rocks in improbable shapes, wildlife in uncountable numbers. National parks are the sorts of places that can turn kids from screen-addicts to outdoor explorers; that can turn all of us into advocates for the planet. National parks are good for us too. It's well documented that spending time in nature can reduce stress, anxiety and depression, not to mention the health benefits of the hiking, biking, paddling, swimming, running, rafting and more we might engage in while we're there. The activity options are as diverse as the parks themselves. No matter if you prefer icy expanses, deserts, jungles, islands, highlands, human culture or utter emptiness, somewhere there's a park for you. While we've extensively covered the UK's top spots, and zoomed in on Europe, here are some more of the best that the world has to offer. Skip to: Water worlds Animal encounters Family travel Wild adventures Superb landscapes Water worlds Best for cruising Fiordland, New Zealand Rudyard Kipling visited majestic Milford Sound in the 1890s, deeming it 'the eighth wonder of the world'. But attention-grabbing Milford – doable on a day-trip from Te Anau – is only one of 14 ice-carved inlets within Fiordland. This vast South Island park is also home to hundreds of lakes, endless rainforest and three official Great Walks: the Kepler, Milford and Routeburn tracks. However, as most of Fiordland's sounds are only accessible from the sea, the best way to fully explore is by boat. Do it: Heritage Expeditions (+64 3 365 3500) offers a 10-day Ultimate Fiordland cruise from £3,825pp full board; excludes flights. Best for off-beat beaches Ko Tarutao, Thailand Many of Thailand's beaches have been loved to near-death. But paradise can still be found within this marine national park. Though only 90 minutes by speedboat from the popular Malaysian isle of Langkawi, the 51 isles of Tarutao (which means, appropriately, 'primitive') are little-developed and pristine. The main islands are Tarutao and Ko Adang; paradisiacal Ko Lipe is a good base for dive trips. Other activities include jungle hikes, meeting the local Urak Lawoi and snorkelling on Thailand's finest reefs. Do it: Bamboo Travel (020 7720 9285) offers a 16-day Island Hopping Kuala Lumpur to Krabi trip, including Ko Lipe, from £3,570pp including B&B accommodation and flights. Best for quirky inhabitants Galápagos, Ecuador There's nowhere like this Pacific-stranded archipelago, both in terms of unique (and fearless) wildlife and scientific import – Darwin developed his evolutionary theory here. Landscapes are volcanic and dramatic, waters clear, the inhabitants quirky: sea-swimming iguanas, northerly penguins, giant tortoises, beak-jousting albatross. Land-based trips are possible, but cruising offers greater variety. Highlights include visiting Santa Cruz's Charles Darwin Research Station, snorkelling with sea lions and turtles, and watching blue-footed boobies perform their comedy courtship dance. Do it: Select Latin America (0207 407 1478) offers a 17-day Full Galapagos trip, visiting all the islands, from £8,763pp full board; includes 14-night cruise; excludes international flights. Best for cascading falls Plitvice, Croatia Water, water everywhere – that's Plitvice. More than 90 waterfalls tinkle between the 16 interconnected lakes and karst canyons of this beautiful blue-green park in Croatia's central Dinaric Alps. Explore via the network of trails, which range from 3km to 18km – medium-length Walk B leads through the limestone canyon of the Lower Lakes and includes an electric-boat ride across Lake Kozjak (where rowing boats can also be hired) plus either a scenic train ride back, or a walk along the canyon rim. Do it: Regent (0117 453 3001) offers a seven-day Zagreb and Plitvice trip from £1,235pp including B&B accommodation and flights. Animal encounters Best for big creatures Komodo, Indonesia The rugged, volcanic isles of Komodo, Rinca and Padar sit at the heart of the Indonesian archipelago, at the juncture of tectonic plates and the meeting of ecosystems. The wildlife here is extraordinary – and huge. This is the only place on the planet to see Komodo dragons – armoured lizards that grow up to three metres long – and there are big critters offshore too, with dazzling coral reefs attracting turtles, whales, manta rays and whale sharks. As to be expected, the snorkelling is superb. Do it: Seatrek offers a nine-day Whale Sharks, Corals & Dragons cruise from £4,039pp full board; excludes flights. Best for tigers Corbett, India This gorgeous park, scenically tucked into Uttarakhand's Himalayan foothills, has the highest concentration of tigers in India and was named for hunter-turned-conservationist Jim Corbett (whose house – now a museum – can be visited in Kaladhungi). This is where Project Tiger was launched; an initiative that helps protect the big cats countrywide. Game drives explore Corbett's hills, sal forests, marshes, grasses and bamboo groves; other species that might be spotted include elephant, leopard, sloth bear and almost 600 species of birds. Do it: Wild Frontiers (020 3918 4034) offers a Wild India & Nepal trip from £8,350pp, combining Corbett with Bardia and Chitwan, including full-board accommodation and flights. Best for gorillas Bwindi Impenetrable, Uganda Few places offer the chance to meet mountain gorillas. And Bwindi, home to half of the world's population of the endangered apes, is a considerably less expensive option – trekking permits (allowing one hour with the gorillas) cost US$800 (£591) in Uganda versus US$1,500 (£1,108) in Rwanda. Bwindi also offers Gorilla Habituation Experiences (US$1,500), which include four hours with a group still being habituated. The park's lush, Afromontane forest is home to plenty more, too: look for blue monkeys and 345 species of birds. Do it: Rainbow Tours (0203 773 7945) offers a 13-night Uganda trip from £7,260pp including accommodation, most meals, gorilla permits and flights. Best for safaris Kruger, South Africa Covering South Africa's northeast corner, Kruger is the country's oldest national park. It's home to the Big Five and packed with game. Best, it caters to all budgets: save by self-driving and staying at rest-camps, or splurge on luxe lodges within private park concessions (Singita has two of the finest properties). It's also abutted by the Greater Kruger, where night drives and bush walks are permitted, and where you can meet the Black Mambas, the first all-female anti-poaching unit. Do it: Intrepid (0808 274 5111) offers an eight-day Kruger to Vic Falls small-group trip from £1,364pp including accommodation, most meals and Black Mambas experience, excluding flights. Family travel Best for school summer holidays Wilpattu (and Minneriya), Sri Lanka Welcoming and diverse, Sri Lanka is great for adventurous families. For that reason, two top parks deserve a mention, and both are conveniently best-visited during school summer holidays, when the monsoon is hitting elsewhere. Wilpattu, in the north-east, is the country's largest park, and jeep drives amid its scrub forest and villu (shallow lakes) might reveal water buffalo, sambar, leopard and sloth bear. Meanwhile, the grasslands of Minneriya, in the island's centre, host the greatest-known gathering of Asian elephants. Do it: Stubborn Mule (01728 752751) offers a 15-day Sri Lanka Summer Tour from £13,940 per family of four including B&B accommodation and flights. Best for Alternative Alps Pyrenees, France The Pyrenees aren't like other French mountains. This is la frontière sauvage ('the wild frontier'), a jagged bastion of peaks, cirques and tarns on the Spanish border – less chocolate box and less crowded than the Alps. The national park covers a chunk of the range, south of Lourdes, that is home to the waterfall-splattered amphitheatre of the Cirque du Gavarnie, glittering Gaube Lake, 2,877m Pic du Midi (cable car accessible) and traditionally Pyrenean access valleys such as Cauterets and Azun. The hiking is fabulous, and there are plenty of other family activities, too. Do it: Macs Adventure (0141 530 5452) offers an eight-day Walking in the Pyrenees trip from £965pp including B&B accommodation; excludes flights. Wild adventures Best for hiking Torres del Paine, Chile Patagonia isn't short on breathtaking wilderness, but Torres del Paine scoops top prize. This Unesco Biosphere is speared by granite peaks and blanketed in emerald forests, turquoise lagoons, glistening glaciers and wildlife-rich pampas where endangered huemul deer and puma might be spotted. Numerous activities are possible: mountain-biking, 4WD-ing, kayaking among icebergs on Lago Grey. The hiking is sublime, from shorter treks to lookouts (such as Mirador Cuernos) to the full O Circuit, which loops the Paine massif – one of the world's best treks. Do it: KE Adventure (017687 73966) offers a 12-day Classic Paine Circuit small-group trek from £7,395pp including accommodation, meals and flights. Best for rainforest Manu, Peru Ranging from high Andes to lowland Amazonian rainforest, Manu contains a marvellous mix of South American ecosystems. It's remote and relatively hard to reach, which means it's pristine and full of creatures: jaguar, ocelot, giant river otter, spectacled bear, 1,000-plus species of birds. You might see hummingbirds in the cloudforest, macaws flocking at clay-licks and Andean cock-of-the-rocks performing mating displays. The best way to explore is via the 'Manu Road', hopping between lodges in different altitudinal zones to see the full spectrum of life. Do it: Naturetrek (01962 733051) offers an 18-day Manu small-group trip from £7,995pp including full-board accommodation and flights. Best for bragging rights Corcovado, Costa Rica Nosing into the Pacific Ocean, the Osa Peninsula takes up around 0.001 per cent of the planet's surface but packs in 2.5 per cent of its biodiversity. And this is where you'll find Corcovado. It's harder to access than the country's other national parks; visitor numbers are capped and guides are mandatory. But the reward is a crowd-free Eden. Hikes might reveal monkeys, anteaters, sloths and scarlet macaws. A night at La Sirena Ranger Station (the only accommodation within the park) is the ultimate immersion. Do it: Pura Aventura (01273 676712) offers a 13-night Costa Rica Hidden Highlights self-drive from £3,160pp including B&B accommodation; excludes flights. Best for walking safaris South Luangwa, Zambia Zambia offers a lower-key safari experience than many better-known spots, and is richer for it. Especially South Luangwa, a sweeping expanse of riverside plains in the country's east. It was here that conservationist Norman Carr pioneered walking safaris (you can still stay at Carr's camps, such as Mchenja). Bush walks are the most thrilling way to encounter South Luangwa's residents – which includes wild dogs and one of the world's highest densities of leopards – in the company of some of Africa's best guides. Do it: Yellow Zebra (020 3993 3564) offers a nine-day Founders of Zambia's Walking Safaris trip from £8,273pp including full-board accommodation; excludes flights. Superb landscapes Best for dark skies Jasper, Canada In 2024, wildfires burned 96,000 acres of Canada's biggest national park. But don't let that put you off: already, nature is rebounding, and the community spirit is inspirational. Plus, some of the Rockies' most dramatic mountain views are here, as well as glorious glacial lakes (like Maligne), crashing waterfalls and one of the world's finest drives: the Icefields Parkway, linking Jasper to Banff via a magnificence of peaks. Jasper is also the world's second-largest Dark Sky Preserve – its glittering skies are celebrated at a festival every October. Do it: Trailfinders (0207 084 6500) offers a 14-day Rocky Mountain Wanderer self-drive from £3,699pp including room-only accommodation and flights. Best for a road trip Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef, Utah, USA Yes, this is a bit cheat-y, but it's hard to separate the 'Mighty 5' that, together, make southern Utah a national park paradise. The best thing is to road-trip between them. Wander through Canyonlands – its beautiful buttes have featured in many a movie; hike trails to some of Arches' 2,000 namesake red-rock curves; explore the lesser-known geological wrinkles and ancient petroglyphs of Capitol Reef; star-gaze amid the curious hoodoos in Bryce; and squeeze into Zion's slender slot canyons. Do it: Bon Voyage (02380 248248) offers an 11-night Spectacular Utah Deluxe self-drive from £3,495pp including room-only accommodation and flights. Best for dreamy desert Namib-Naukluft, Namibia There are big national parks, then there's the enormous Namib-Naukluft, encompassing one of the oldest deserts on earth as well as the rocky, ravine-sliced Naukluft Mountains (great for hikes and horse-rides). Most iconic are the curvaceous apricot dunes of the Sesriem area, the striking-white salt-and-clays pans of Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. Self-drive is also possible with good roads. Seeing the rippling sands from the sky – via small plane or hot-air balloon – is unforgettable. Do it: Expert Africa (0203 405 6666) offers a 14-day Caracal Self-drive, with four nights in the park, from £2,490pp including accommodation and most meals, excluding flights. Best for originality Yellowstone, USA Designated in 1872, Yellowstone was the world's first national park, and has lost none of its lustre. It has 10,000 hydrothermal features, including around half the world's active geysers, plus other geological wonders like the 3,115m Mt Washburn and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Top wildlife areas include the Lamar Valley (the 'Serengeti of North America', where grey wolves have been reintroduced) and Hayden Valley, home to huge bison herds. Sample the 90-plus hiking trails, go horse-riding or lake canoeing, and enjoy hot-spring soaks. Do it: Journeyscape (0203 733 4413) offers an eight-day Yellowstone Wildlife Adventure from £10,500pp including B&B accommodation; excludes flights. Best for ancient culture Kakadu, Australia Sprawling across the top of the Northern Territory, Kakadu is vast – almost half the size of Switzerland. It's also ancient, both in terms of its striking rock formations (some of the oldest on Earth) and its human history – Indigenous people have lived here for 65,000 years. Guided walks to rock art galleries such as Ubirr and Burrungkuy are highlights, as are billabong cruises (look for crocs and jabiru storks) and hikes to waterfalls such as the 200m-high Jim Jim and gorge-spilled Maguk. Do it: World Expeditions (0800 0744 135) offers a six-day Kakadu Explorer small-group trip from £1,895pp including camping and meals, excluding flights. Best for sheer size Northeast Greenland, Greenland Northeast Greenland is hard to comprehend. The world's biggest national park (it's almost the size of Spain and France combined), there are no settlements or infrastructure, and most of it is permanently covered by ice. But what a wilderness – unspoilt, pristine. Expedition cruises tend to nibble at its southern edges, drifting through Kong Oscar Fjord, with possible landings on craggy Ella Island and flower-rich Botanikerbugt bay. Sightings might include icebergs, muskoxen and, season dependent, midnight sun or northern lights.
RNZ News
7 hours ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Otago Regional Council closely monitoring rising rivers as heavy rain is yet to peak
It comes amid flooding in other parts of the South Island, including Motueka. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee Otago Regional Council is closely monitoring rising rivers that are yet to peak in North Otago, Dunedin and Clutha. An orange heavy rain warning was in place for Dunedin and Clutha until 9pm on Saturday night. ORC flood duty officer Ann Conroy said the council was keeping an eye on parts of the Tokomairaro floodplain such as Milton, the Lower Taieri floodplain including Henley, the Lower Clutha floodplain and Middlemarch. "Flood infrastructure is doing its job and performing as expected. There were no significant issues overnight and surface flooding and ponding are likely in lower lying areas. "We are ready to respond to any issues that arise will continue to closely monitor river levels," she said. Dunedin's Water of Leith and Lindsay Creek were not expected to top their banks. The council said coastal Dunedin bore the brunt of rainfall overnight - approximately 25-50mm, with other parts of Otago getting 20-50mm. Rainfall had eased in North Otago but Dunedin could see a further 20-30mm and 30-40mm for Clutha, it said. The Silver Stream near Mosgiel was expected to peak at about 90-100 cumecs on Saturday afternoon and the Taieri River at Outram at about 400-600 cumecs in the evening. Flooding of unprotected areas downstream of Outram was likely. The Clutha River at Balclutha was expected to peak at around 1900 cumecs on Sunday morning. Flooding was likely in low-lying areas next to the river upstream of Balclutha and unprotected areas downstream of the township on the Clutha delta. A heavy snow watch was also in place for Central Otago, Southland north of Lumsden, inland Dunedin and Clutha until 7pm on Saturday night. It's snowy down in Central Otago. Photo: Supplied/ Cath Gilmo A number of roads in the Clutha district were closed because of flooding. The council said crews were placing signs in the worst-affected areas but conditions could change quickly and deteriorate before they reached them. There was surface flooding in a number of areas around Clutha, particularly Milton. Dunedin City Council spokesman Scott MacLean said there were some road closures in Dunedin, but the network coped well with heavy rain overnight. "Contractors responded to isolated incidents of ponding overnight. Our teams are inspecting the network for damage and flooding, and there are some temporary road closures in place." Meanwhile, Metservice said about 40mm of rain had fallen in Dunedin city and surrounding areas in the past 12 hours. Meteorologist Devlin Lynden said while it's not quite the totals seen in the Tasman District, there'll be some swollen gutters and potentially surface flooding in flat areas such as Mosgiel and South Dunedin. He said the Central Otago hills have also received a dusting of snow, while the skifields around Wanaka and Queenstown got a dumping of about 20-30cm. The wet weather was expected to clear on Sunday ahead of another cold front moving in overnight, Lynden said. Laura Hedley, chief mountains officer for Cardrona and Treble Cone, said it's been an "incredible morning in the snow" for Treble Cone's opening day. Other skifields in the area opened earlier this month. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Kea almost ready to go home after hospitalisation for shot leg
A kea shot in the leg with a lead-based bullet in February is making a speeding recovery after being admitted to the Massey University Wildbase Hospital in Palmerston North. Photo: Supplied / Massey Universities Wildbase Hospital A kea that suffered a leg fracture after being shot has made an almost complete recovery, and vets have started plans for him head back home to the South Island. The injured bird was discovered with a severely infected left leg injury at Ligar Bay, near Tākaka in February after it was spotted walking with a limp. The bird was picked up by a Kea Conservation Trust worker. He was then flown to Wellington, before the Department of Conservation drove the bird to Massey University's Wildbase Hospital in Palmerston North which provides care to sick and injured native animals. The kea underwent several tests at the wildlife hospital - including radiographs and a CT scan - which showed an injury on the bird's leg caused by a lead-based bullet and left an open wound on his foot. Avian and wildlife veterinarian, Dr Megan Jolly, said the bird had likely got the injuries over the month prior to being found, and it quickly became apparent the bird's injuries stemmed from a gunshot wound. "There were fragments of the bullet still in the surrounding bone," Jolly said. She said vets also noticed an issue with his respiratory system, known as airsacculitis, which had caused breathing difficulties. Jolly said kea were known to develop stress-related health issues. She said throughout the kea's rehabilitation, it was a priority to keep him calm. "We do all the things we can to reduce his stress, we give him as much space as we can - he's had his own room in the hospital for months." "Being a kea, he likes to destroy stuff, so we give him lots of... native timbers and things to chew up and keep him as entertained as we can." Next steps in the rehabilitation process have included a move from Wildbase Hospital into the Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery - a transition aviary designed for native animals to regain strength after hospital treatment. "He'll be down there getting used to being outside, flying around again, and then we'll start to make a plan to get him back down South," Jolly said. Ash Murphy from the Department of Conservation (DOC) said while it's unknown if the kea was shot deliberately, there were previous incidents in Golden Bay where kea were shot and killed - and it took harming kea seriously. "Kea are protected under the Wildlife Act and the offence of hunting or killing kea carries a maximum penalty of up to two years' imprisonment or a fine of up to $100,000, or both," Murphy said. "Kea are a taonga species found in South Island alpine and forest areas. They are endangered in large part due to predators like stoats and feral cats. We need to do all we can to protect and live alongside them." She acknowledged the role of the Wildbase Hospital in the successful rehabilitation of the kea. Murphy encouraged anyone with information about the incident or other kea related incidents or injuries should call DOC's 24-hour hotline - 0800 DOC HOT. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Top of the South cut off as wild weather causes flooding
weather natural disasters 40 minutes ago The top of the South Island is effectively cut off at the moment, with a number of state highways closed and state of emergencies in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough. Nelson reporter Samantha Gee spoke to Charlotte Cook.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
What you need to know: Travel disruption, flooding and evacuations as severe weather hits New Zealand
Heavy rain is pummelling parts of the country, causing widespread travel disruption, flooding and evacuations. The top of the South Island is bearing the brunt of the rain, with state of emergencies issued as a result of significant rainfall. Dozens of homes have been evacuated due to rising floodwaters. Meanwhile, Auckland has been hit by severe thunderstorms and torrential rain. Here's what you need to know: A state of emergency has been declared for the Nelson Tasman region as a result of severe weather and evacuations. Tasman District Council said the declaration will allow agencies to rapidly respond, with slips and flooding across the region and further rain forecast. People are being evacuated in Brightwater and Upper Moutere and residents in Riwaka might need to leave. A local state of emergency is also in place for part of Marlborough, where 60 households in Spring Creek near Blenheim were ordered to evacuate because of fears a Wairau River stopbank might not hold. Flooding over Brightwater, Tasman district. Photo: Charlotte Bacon / supplied MetService has issued several severe weather warnings and watches across the country. Parts of Northland and Auckland are under a severe thunderstorm warning. The thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by torrential rain. Meanwhile, a heavy snow watch has been issued for Central Otago, Southland north of Lumsden, also inland Dunedin and Clutha until noon Saturday. Orange heavy rain warnings: Heavy rain watches: The top of the South Island is cut off at the moment with a number of state highways closed. NZ Transport Agency is warning drivers to be prepared for wet weather driving and to take extra care on the roads. Here is a list of the highways closed: Roads closed in Marlborough include: Dozens of domestic flights bound for or departing from Auckland Airport have been cancelled or delayed due to severe weather conditions. Auckland Airport said 21 flights have been cancelled and 11 flights have been delayed. It said the weather is mostly impacting flights to or from regional destinations. The airport also confirmed that a China Eastern Airlines flight from Hangzhou to Auckland has been diverted to Christchurch due to the unsettled weather conditions. China Eastern Airlines also confirmed the diversion.
