Story: West Coast region

Page 3. Climate and wildlife

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Weather

With a high rainfall, the weather is a regular topic of conversation on the West Coast. Near the coast the annual rainfall is 2,000–3,000 millimetres, and it increases rapidly closer to the mountains. More than 10,000 millimetres a year falls in a narrow zone on the western side of the Southern Alps above 1,200 metres.

Not enough rain?

Because of the regular rainfall, many rural houses get their water from rooftop tanks. After a month without rain, tanks become depleted and surface reservoirs start to dry up. When tankers are needed to cart water, it’s a West Coast drought.

Flooding is an ever-present threat. A substantial part of the budget of the West Coast Regional Council is spent on building and maintaining stopbanks along the major rivers and monitoring river levels and rainfall.

Although rainfall is high compared to the rest of New Zealand, it often occurs as high-intensity downpours. In the main towns, near the coast, more than half the days each year are fine. Average annual sunshine hours range between 1,800 and 1,900 – less than Timaru, but more than Dunedin.

Forests

A visitor to the West Coast is immediately struck by the extent of native forest. Although some of the river flats and lowlands have been logged and cleared for farming, a higher proportion of forest cover remains than in other regions.

There are two major forest types:

  • conifer–broadleaf forest, which covers the area between the Taramakau and Paringa rivers
  • beech and beech–conifer forest, found elsewhere in the region.

The absence of beech forest in the central part of the region – known as the ‘beech gap’ – is thought to be due to the extent of glaciers during the ice ages, which destroyed the vegetation in this area. When the glaciers melted, 15,000–10,000 years ago, the bare land was quickly colonised by conifer and broadleaf trees, because their seed is rapidly spread by wind and birds. In contrast, beech seeds are slow to spread.

Blood suckers

Small black sandflies are a common annoyance on the West Coast, and will bite any area of exposed skin. While visiting the West Coast in 1892, Lord Onslow (governor of New Zealand) was badly bitten, but his companion, Richard Seddon (the local MP) was unsympathetic: ‘Let ’em bite my lord. It is very seldom they get a taste of blue blood, and they will enjoy the luxury.’ Seddon had applied insect repellent, and was delighted to show that he had not been bitten. ‘You see, they won’t touch common blood.’ 1

Bird life

Because of the large forest area on the West Coast, native birds are more abundant than in most other parts of New Zealand. In general, conifer–broadleaf forest supports larger bird populations than beech forest because it is richer in food sources.

The introduction of predators such as rats and mustelids (ferrets and stoats) had a devastating effect on bird populations. Some species, such as kākāpō (the flightless native parrot), which were common in the 19th century, have now disappeared, and others have become less common. The Department of Conservation is spearheading projects to protect two populations of endangered kiwi species, each with only a few hundred individuals remaining: the Haast tokoeka kiwi and the Ōkārito brown kiwi.

There are several notable birdwatching areas in the region.

  • Ōkārito Lagoon, the largest unmodified wetland in New Zealand, is home to the only breeding colony of kōtuku (white heron) in New Zealand. More than 70 other bird species have been identified there.
  • Paparoa National Park, one of the most accessible areas of lowland conifer–beech forest, extends down to the sea and contains a variety of bird life. Species such as bellbird, kākā and kererū live there in winter, and migrate to higher altitudes in summer. The unique Westland petrel colony is just south of Punakaiki.
  • Arthur’s Pass National Park, in the heart of the Southern Alps, has a variety of alpine species, including kea (mountain parrots), which often enjoy the company of tourists.
Footnotes:
  1. Quoted in John Pascoe, The Haast is in South Westland. Wellington: Reed, 1966, p. 71. › Back
How to cite this page:

Simon Nathan, 'West Coast region - Climate and wildlife', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/west-coast-region/page-3 (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Simon Nathan, published 23 Feb 2009, updated 1 Sep 2016