Mount Gunn | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 2,044 m (6,706 ft) [1] [2] |
Prominence | 164 m (538 ft) [2] |
Isolation | 1.55 km (0.96 mi) [2] |
Coordinates | 44°45′18″S168°05′02″E / 44.755°S 168.084°E [2] |
Naming | |
Etymology | David John Gunn |
Geography | |
Interactive map of Mount Gunn | |
Location | South Island |
Country | New Zealand |
Region | Southland [2] |
Protected area | Fiordland National Park |
Parent range | Darran Mountains |
Topo map | NZMS260 D40 [3] |
Geology | |
Rock age | 136 ± 1.9 Ma |
Rock type | Gabbronorite, dioritic orthogneiss |
Climbing | |
First ascent | 1959 |
Mount Gunn is a 2,044-metre-elevation (6,706-foot) mountain in Southland New Zealand.
Mount Gunn is part of the Darran Mountains and is situated in the Southland Region of South Island. It is set within Fiordland National Park which is part of the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site. [2] Precipitation runoff from the mountain drains to the Hollyford River via Marian Creek and Caples Creek. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,900 metres (6,234 feet) above the Hollyford Valley in four kilometres and 1,450 metres (4,757 feet) above Caples Creek in two kilometres.
The mountain was named after David John Gunn (1887–1955), promoter of the Hollyford Track. [3] He was a farmer and bushman, running his cattle in the glacier-cut Hollyford Valley. Gunn tragically drowned in the Hollyford River in 1955. [4] The first ascent of the summit was made in 1959 by Bob Cuthill and Denise Schonyan. [5]
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Mount Gunn is located in a marine west coast climate zone. [6] Prevailing westerly winds blow moist air from the Tasman Sea onto the mountain, where the air is forced upward by the mountains (orographic lift), causing moisture to drop in the form of rain and snow. This climate supports small unnamed glaciers on the southwest slope. The months of December through February offer the most favourable weather for viewing or climbing this peak. [7]
Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand. Its height, as of 2014, is listed as 3,724 metres. It is situated in the Southern Alps, the mountain range that runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination, it is also a favourite challenge for mountain climbers. Aoraki / Mount Cook consists of three summits: from south to north, the Low Peak, the Middle Peak and the High Peak. The summits lie slightly south and east of the main divide of the Southern Alps, with the Tasman Glacier to the east and the Hooker Glacier to the southwest. Mount Cook is ranked 10th in the world by topographic isolation.
Fiordland, is a non-administrative geographical region of New Zealand in the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the western third of Southland. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps, deep lakes, and its steep, glacier-carved and now ocean-flooded western valleys. The name "Fiordland" derives from an alternate spelling of the Scandinavian word for steep glacial valleys, "fjord". The geographic area of Fiordland is dominated by, and roughly coterminous with, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand's largest national park.
Fiordland National Park is a national park in the south-west corner of South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest of the 13 national parks in New Zealand, with an area covering 12,607 km2 (4,868 sq mi), and a major part of the Te Wāhipounamu a UNESCO World Heritage Site established in 1990. The park is administered by the Department of Conservation. The southern ranges of the Southern Alps cover most of Fiordland National Park, combined with the deep glacier-carved valleys.
The Eglinton River is located in the region of Southland in the southwest of New Zealand. It flows through Fiordland National Park for 50 kilometres (31 mi). Its headwaters are at Lake Gunn, 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of Milford Sound, and it flows generally south before entering Lake Te Anau along the lake's eastern shore opposite the entrance to North Fiord.
The Hollyford River / Whakatipu Kā Tuka is in the southwest of the South Island of New Zealand. It runs for 72 kilometres (45 mi) through Fiordland, its sources being close to the Homer Tunnel and in Gertrude Valley in the southern Darran Mountains.
The Hollyford Track is a tramping track in New Zealand. Located at the northern edge of Fiordland, in the southwestern South Island, it is unusual among Fiordland's major tracks in that it is largely flat and accessible year-round. It follows the Hollyford River which in turn follows the course of the Hollyford Valley.
Lake Gunn is a lake in the South Island of New Zealand, located at 44°53′S168°05′E.
Transport in Milford Sound in New Zealand is characterised by the remoteness of the area in which it is located. As a popular tourism destination in the South Island, Milford Sound and the village of the same name receive very large numbers of visitors. These tend to arrive and depart within just a few hours each day, as there is little accommodation at the village, leading to strong demand peaks for tourism services during the noon and early afternoon period. The journey from Te Anau is rated as one of the most photographic drives of the world.
Lake Marian is an alpine lake at the southern end of the Darran Mountains in the Fiordland National Park in the South Island of New Zealand. The lake is located just above the treeline in a hanging valley leading northwest from the Hollyford Valley near The Divide pass. The valley is sheltered by steep snow-covered peaks of over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) on all sides apart from the entrance.
Mount Tūtoko is the highest peak in Fiordland National Park, in southwest New Zealand. It lies between the Hollyford Valley and Milford Sound, 15 kilometres due north of the Homer Tunnel at the northern end of the Darran Mountains. The glacier-covered mountain rises to a height of 2,723 metres (8,934 ft) and is visible from the Hollyford Track. Two slightly lower summits lie just to the south of the main peak.
State Highway 94 is a New Zealand state highway connecting the large Southland town of Gore with one of New Zealand's most popular destinations, Milford Sound. It also passes the significant townships of Lumsden and Te Anau as well going through the Homer Tunnel. The road also goes through Fiordland and crosses the Main Divide of the Southern Alps.
David John Gunn was a New Zealander and promoter of the Hollyford Track. A farmer and bushman, he ran his almost wild cattle in the glacier-cut Hollyford Valley in Fiordland, South Westland, New Zealand.
The Haast-Hollyford road or Haast-Hollyford Highway is a long-standing proposal to link Haast via the Hollyford Valley to Milford Sound and Te Anau in the South Island of New Zealand. Proposals for this road have been mooted since the 1880s.
The Humboldt Mountains or Humboldt Range are one of the many ranges which make up the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana in the South Island of New Zealand. They lie to the northwest of Lake Wakatipu in the Otago Region. Parts of the range lie within Fiordland National Park, and they form the southern extremity of Mount Aspiring National Park. The range was named by early explorer James McKerrow, and like many geographic features worldwide, it was named in honour of notable scientist Alexander von Humboldt.
Mount Eglinton is an 1,854-metre-elevation (6,083-foot) mountain summit in the Fiordland Region of New Zealand.
Mount Turner is a 2,150-metre-elevation (7,054-foot) mountain in the Otago region of New Zealand.
Mount Gifford is a 2,149-metre-elevation (7,051-foot) mountain in Fiordland, New Zealand.
Mount Christina is a 2,474-metre-elevation (8,117-foot) mountain in Fiordland, New Zealand.
Mount Crosscut is a 2,263-metre-elevation (7,425-foot) mountain in Fiordland, New Zealand.
Mount Pembroke is a 2,015-metre-elevation (6,611-foot) mountain in Fiordland, New Zealand.