The UNESCO World Heritage Site in New Zealand covering Fiordland, Mount Aspiring, and Westland national parks is Te Wahipounamu.
Te Wahipounamu is a vast natural area in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island. Its landscape includes fjords, glaciers, mountains, rainforests, lakes, and alpine ecosystems. The property incorporates Fiordland, Mount Aspiring, and Westland Tai Poutini national parks, as well as Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.
UNESCO inscribed Te Wahipounamu in 1990. The name comes from Māori and refers to greenstone, or pounamu, a culturally significant material found in the South Island. The area is also important for species such as the kea, takahē, and southern brown kiwi.
Te Wahipounamu is distinct from Tongariro National Park, another New Zealand World Heritage site. Tongariro is centred on volcanic mountains in the North Island, whereas Te Wahipounamu represents the glaciated landscapes and ancient ecosystems of the South Island’s southwest.