Due to its remote location New Zealand was one of the last areas to be colonized and was primarily inhabited by the Māori until Europeans arrived in the 1600s.

Both the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers extend below the tree line, reaching areas as low as 300 meters above sea level.

[8] The largest sections of podocarp forest in Westland New Zealand are found around 43° latitude, where they grow from the western coastal region along the Tasman Sea up to the Southern Alps.

Rimu-kamahi forest is common in this area, along with mountain totara (Podocarpus laetus) and southern rata (Metrosideros umbellata).

Birdwatching in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park provides opportunities to see kea, passerines, tomtits, fantails, and native pigeons.

[2] Many small animals live in the Westland region, including plant-eaters such as snails, slugs, worms, insect larvae, millipedes, and sprintails.

A large number of the spiders that live on the ground do not build webs, rather they rely on speed and sight to catch prey.

Seafood was especially important to the Māori who smoked eels and seafish, dried whitebait, and often collected seaweed and mussels.

[2] Europeans first encountered Westland in 1642 when Dutch navigator Abel Janzoon Tasman first sighted mountain peaks from his ship.

Over time, various explorers including Charles Heaphy, Thomas Brunner, James McKay, and Julius von Haast, traversed the Westland area, often with Māori guides to lead them.

In 1860 James McKay, employed by the local colonial government, managed to purchase a large portion of the west coast of New Zealand from the Māori for the price of 300 pounds.

This addition took place in light of a new National Parks Act that was helpful for determining the importance of preserving these areas.

At one point the Māori used to set intentional fires that affected the forests growing on the South Island.

This greatly altered the landscape, and much of the forest along the east side of the South Island was replaced by grasslands.

[7] Some of the stands that feature rata-kamahi have trouble with die-back caused in part by opossums that like to find shelter within older trees (around 300 years), especially ones that grow on fertile ground.

[4] Westland Tai Poutini National Park covers approximately 20,000 acres or about 81 square kilometers, about 25% of which is glaciers and snowfields.

[4] The Westland National Park features many opportunities for recreation including walking and hiking, fishing, skiing, boating, and taking tours around and on the local glaciers.