Arthur's Pass township is the gateway to the national park and only 2 miles (4km) from the 3,030ft (924m) pass itself. There is accommodation as well as a Park Visitor Centre. It has detailed information about all the tracks and inexperienced trampers should seek advice from the staff as to the difficulty of the walks they intend to do. The weather here can change very rapidly, making many normally 'safe' walks quite dangerous.
Flora and fauna
The national park spreads over both sides of the Southern Alps, covering an area of 243,000 acres (98,408 hectares). Dry tussock grasslands and mountain beech forest dominate in the east, whereas the park's western slopes, where rainfall is much higher, are characterised by dense, tangled rainforests of podocarp, beech and broadleaved trees. The alpine regions are also rich in flora; in fact more than fifty per cent of the alpine species found in New Zealand occur within the boundaries of this national park.
Such a diversity of vegetational zones also supports a wide range of native birds. Most common are wood pigeons, riflemen, bellbirds and silver-eyes. In the alpine regions, keas amuse trampers with their antics. Less commonly seen are parakeets, yellowheads and blue ducks. Great spotted kiwis are also found throughout the park, but due to their nocturnal habits they are more often heard than seen.
Walks
The walks within this mountainous park vary from easy strolls to demanding tours of four or five days. Short walks close to the township include the Dobson Nature Walk (1 1/2 hours return), Devil's Punchbowl Falls Walk (1 hour return) and Bridal Veil Track (1 1/2 hours return).
An excellent two day tramp which crosses from the eastern beech forests to the rainforests of the West Coast is the Mingha-Deception Track. It starts only 3 miles (5km) south of the village at Greyneys Shelter. Also within easy reach, the Temple Basin Track (3 hours return) is hard to beat for magnificent views of alpine peaks, some of which exceed 6,500ft (2, 000m). In winter a ski field operates here.
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