Arthurs Pass - Featured Destinations

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Arthur's Pass - 360° Panoramas with Maps and Virtual Tours

The pins on this Google map of Arthur's Pass show the regions where there are 360° panoramas of various sights and places of interest. Each of the panoramas are accompanied by a description and some travel information. This provides a growing collection of panoramic images from New Zealand and a virtual tour of the Arthur's Pass National Park and Southern Alps. If you have any 360° panoramas of this part of New Zealand that you wish to add to the collection, then simply create an account on Panoramic Earth and submit your panoramas.

Arthur's Pass - New Zealand

Panoramas from Arthur's Pass, a National Parkland on South Island, New Zealand. Named for a mountain pass which bisects the Southern Alps via the valleys of the Otira and Beasley rivers, it allows state highway 73 to connect Westland and Christchurch. Only two other crossing sites are possible, Haast Pass and Lewis Pass. Arthur's Pass is ideal for a day's climbing as it is served by road and rail links with frequent shuttle buses allowing visitors easy access within a couple hours drive from west or east coast. Also, the altitude of the highway allows direct access to the Alpine peaks - no long walks in across foothills to reach the climbing areas and tramping paths. Safety is especially important given that Arthur's Pass includes terrain of the most challenging difficulty for climbers. Visitors are cautioned not to overstretch their abilities by embarking unprepared on easily accessible routes which rapidly become difficult with fast, steep ascent paths. Scree, loose rocks, soggy ground saturation from surface water which also erodes path markings, cliffs, dense bushes and rapidly changing weather are constant hazards. Locally available guides and advice on many routes marked out for half or full day excursions, navigation and equipment are available in the hamlet of Arthurs Pass, approx 5km south of the Pass itself, along with accommodations, shops and amenities. Half day routed include the Temple Basin Ski-field and Otira Valley Walk; full day routes include Avalanche Peak track, Mount Beasley, Aicken and Cassidy routes, Beasley Spur Hut and the Traverses. For tramping (hiking) there are the Kelly Range, the Saddles, the Waimakariri Valley, Lake Kaurapataka, Harper & Lewis Pass, Mingha & Deception Rivers, Tarn Col & Walker Pass, the Minchin Pass & Townsend Creek, Otehake Gorge, Waimakariri Col and Harman Pass. Exploring the rainforest areas - once suitable kitted out - offers an alternative to vertical climbing but no less challenging. Walking up through gorges alongside wide, fast-flowing icy rivers takes the visitor into an altogether different environment with lush green vegetation and diversity of plant and wildlife. Many rare species of fauna thrive here and draw the attentions of botanists keen to explore the unspoilt ecosystem. Birds of the rainforest include rock wrens, falcons, pipits and the kiwi. As the Pass was only opened in 1929, away from the highway much of the area is untouched and unspoilt. Mountain biking is possible all year round. For photographers, painters and outdoor enthusiasts, many waterfalls and dramatic cliffs scenes are within short distance and handsome rewards for the effort of exploring. For the less energetic, there's great fishing in summer and ice skating in winter. Of course, the skiing is world famous and of world-standard for catering to all levels of ability right through to very difficult.

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