List of World Heritage Sites in New Zealand

Summary

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972.[1] New Zealand accepted the convention on November 22, 1984, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2023, New Zealand has three World Heritage Sites. [2]

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Location of World Heritage Sites in New Zealand. The New Zealand Subantarctic Islands (five locations) are not shown on the map.


World Heritage Sites edit

UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.[3]

World Heritage Sites
Site Image Location (region) Year listed UNESCO data Description
Tongariro National Park   Manawatū-Whanganui Mixed (vi) (vii) (viii) 1990, 1993 In 1993 Tongariro became the first property to be inscribed on the World Heritage List under the revised criteria describing cultural landscapes. The mountains at the heart of the park have cultural and religious significance for the Maori people and symbolize the spiritual links between this community and its environment. The park has active and extinct volcanoes, a diverse range of ecosystems and some spectacular landscapes.[4]
Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand   Otago, Southland, West Coast Natural (vii) (viii) (ix) (x) 1990 The landscape in this park, situated in south-west New Zealand, has been shaped by successive glaciations into fjords, rocky coasts, towering cliffs, lakes and waterfalls. Two-thirds of the park is covered with southern beech and podocarps, some of which are over 800 years old. The kea, the only alpine parrot in the world, lives in the park, as does the rare and endangered takahe, a large flightless bird.[5]
New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands   New Zealand Subantarctic Islands Natural (ix) (x) 1998 The New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands consist of five island groups (the Snares, Bounty Islands, Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands and Campbell Island) in the Southern Ocean south-east of New Zealand. The islands, lying between the Antarctic and Subtropical Convergences and the seas, have a high level of productivity, biodiversity, wildlife population densities and endemism among birds, plants and invertebrates. They are particularly notable for the large number and diversity of pelagic seabirds and penguins that nest there. There are 126 bird species in total, including 40 seabirds of which eight breed nowhere else in the world.[6]

Tentative List edit

Site Image Location Criteria Area
ha (acre)
Year of submission Description
Auckland volcanic fields   Auckland Region

36°52′37″S 174°45′50″E / 36.877°S 174.764°E / -36.877; 174.764 (Auckland volcanic fields)

Mixed (ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii) 2007 [7]
Waters and seabed of Fiordland (Te Moana O Atawhenua)   Southland Region

44°44′S 167°34′E / 44.73°S 167.57°E / -44.73; 167.57 (Waters and seabed of Fiordland (Te Moana O Atawhenua))

Natural (vii)(viii)(ix)(x) 2007 [8]
Kahurangi National Park, Farewell Spit and Canaan karst system   West Coast Region

41°15′00″S 172°07′00″E / 41.25°S 172.116667°E / -41.25; 172.116667 (Kahurangi National Park, Farewell Spit and Canaan karst system)

Natural (vii)(viii)(ix)(x) 2007 [9]
Kerikeri Basin historic precinct   Northland Region

35°13′00″S 173°58′00″E / 35.216667°S 173.966667°E / -35.216667; 173.966667 (Kerikeri Basin historic precinct)

Cultural (ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi) 2007 [10]
Kermadec Islands and Marine reserve   Kermadec Islands29°16′37″S 177°55′24″W / 29.276944°S 177.923333°W / -29.276944; -177.923333 (Kermadec Islands and Marine reserve) Natural (vii)(viii)(ix)(x) 2007 [11]
Napier Art Deco historic precinct   Hawke's Bay Region

39°29′25″S 176°55′04″E / 39.490278°S 176.917778°E / -39.490278; 176.917778 (Napier Art Deco historic precinct)

Cultural (ii)(iv)(vi) 2007 [12]
Whakarua Moutere (North East Islands)   Northland Region

34°09′14″S 172°08′24″E / 34.153889°S 172.14°E / -34.153889; 172.14 (Whakarua Moutere (North East Islands))

Natural (vii)(viii)(ix)(x) 2007 [13]
Waitangi Treaty Grounds historic precinct   Northland Region

35°15′58″S 174°04′48″E / 35.266111°S 174.08°E / -35.266111; 174.08 (Waitangi Treaty Grounds historic precinct)

Cultural (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi) 2007 [14]

References edit

  1. ^ "The World Heritage Convention". UNESCO. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  2. ^ "New Zealand". UNESCO. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  3. ^ "The Criteria for Selection". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Tongariro National Park". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-20.  Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO (CC BY 3.0 IGO) license.
  5. ^ "Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-20.  Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO (CC BY 3.0 IGO) license.
  6. ^ "New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-20.  Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO (CC BY 3.0 IGO) license.
  7. ^ "Auckland Volcanic Fields". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  8. ^ "Waters and seabed of Fiordland (Te Moana O Atawhenua)". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  9. ^ "Kahurangi National Park, Farewell Spit and Canaan karst system". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  10. ^ "Kerikeri Basin historic precinct". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  11. ^ "Kermadec Islands and Marine reserve". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  12. ^ "Napier Art Deco historic precinct". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  13. ^ "Whakarua Moutere (North East Islands)". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  14. ^ "Waitangi Treaty Grounds historic precinct". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023-12-30.