Story: Landscapes – overview

Several areas in the north-west South Island have distinctive flat-topped mountains, formed when a flat band of hard rock protects the rocks beneath from erosion. In the Matiri Range a band of hard limestone acts as a cap, forming the Thousand Acres Plateau. In the first part of the 20th century, sheep grazed on the plateau in summer, and were moved to lower altitudes before winter. The area is now part of Kahurangi National Park.