View source for Paparoa Range

{{short description|Mountain range in New Zealand}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name                  = Paparoa Range
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| photo                 = Paparoa Ranges (6706333249).jpg
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| photo_caption         = Paparoa Range
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| map = New Zealand
| map_caption = Location in New Zealand
| label_position = bottom
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| highest               = [[Mount Uriah]]
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| elevation_m           = 1,525
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| coordinates           = {{coord|-42.019|171.643|format=dms|type:mountain_region:NZ|display=inline}}
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| length                = 
| length_km             = 70
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| etymology             = Named by [[Ngāti Wairangi (South Island iwi)|Ngāti Wairangi]], translated as "the broad back" or "the rocky ridge"
| nickname              = 
| native_name           ={{native name|mi|Te Paparoa}}
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| range_coordinates     = {{coord|42|0|S|171|35|E |type:mountain_region:NZ |display=inline,title}}
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The '''Paparoa Range''' is a [[mountain range]] in the [[West Coast Region|West Coast]] region of New Zealand's [[South Island]]. It was the first New Zealand land seen by a European – [[Abel Tasman]] in 1642. Part of the range has the country's highest protection as a national park; the [[Paparoa National Park]] was established in 1987. Within that park, the [[Cave Creek disaster]] occurred in 1995.

==History==
The Dutch explorer [[Abel Tasman]] was the first (known) European to come to New Zealand ([[Aotearoa]]), which he named ''[[Staten Landt]]'', and he first encountered it on 13 December 1642. Tasman had 110 men under his command and was travelling with two ships, the ''Heemskerck'' and the ''Zeehaen''. It is believed that the ships were off [[Punakaiki]] and if so, it was the Paparoa Range that they saw.<ref>{{cite web |title=First recorded European sighting of New Zealand |url= https://nzhistory.govt.nz/abel-tasman-sights-the-southern-alps-becoming-the-first-european-to-see-nz |publisher=[[Ministry for Culture and Heritage]] |access-date=18 December 2021 |date=23 September 2020}}</ref>

Significant [[coal]] deposits have been found in the Paparoa Range,<ref name="Te Ara">{{cite book |title=An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand |date=1966 |publisher=[[Ministry for Culture and Heritage|Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga]] |url= https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/paparoa-range | editor-first=A. H. |editor-last=McLintock |editor-link=Alexander Hare McLintock |first=Frederick Ernest |last=Bowen |accessdate= 21 August 2022 |chapter=Paparoa Range }}</ref> with the [[Blackball Branch|Blackball Branch/Roa Incline]] and the [[Rewanui Branch]] railways built to provide access to the mines. Although these [[branch line]]s are now closed, they were famous for their usage of the [[Fell mountain railway system]] to aid braking for trains descending the Inclines (though this was not a full use of the Fell system like the [[North Island]]'s [[Rimutaka Incline]]).<ref>{{cite book |first1=Geoffrey B. |last1=Churchman |first2=Tony |last2=Hurst |title=The Railways of New Zealand: A Journey Through History |location=Auckland |publisher=HarperCollins |date=1991 |pages=193–197}}</ref>

Some of the range is protected as the [[Paparoa National Park]], which was established in 1987. Within this park, the 1995 [[Cave Creek disaster]] occurred.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cave Creek |url=https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/cave-creek/ |publisher=[[Christchurch City Council]] |access-date=5 January 2022}}</ref>

Two Grey Valley residents, Trevor Johnston and Kevin Dash, became the first people to traverse the length of the Paparoa Ranges from north to south in mid-1986. They later wrote a book about the experience, ''Touch the Wilderness.''<ref>{{Cite web | title=Touch the wilderness / Kevin Dash & T... {{!}} Items {{!}} National Library of New Zealand {{!}} National Library of New Zealand | url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22125669?search%5Bi%5D%5Bcategory%5D=Books&search%5Bi%5D%5Bprimary_collection%5D=National+Library+of+New+Zealand+Catalogue&search%5Bpath%5D=items&search%5Btext%5D=blackball | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118231641/https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22125669?search%5Bi%5D%5Bcategory%5D=Books&search%5Bi%5D%5Bprimary_collection%5D=National+Library+of+New+Zealand+Catalogue&search%5Bpath%5D=items&search%5Btext%5D=blackball | access-date=2025-03-19 | archive-date=2022-11-18}}</ref>

==Flora and fauna==
Numerous species of flora and fauna are found in the Paparoa Range, as well as lower slopes and valleys below. One of the significant understory elements of the floral palette is the fern ''[[Lomaria discolor|Blechnum discolor]]''.

==Geography==
It is located along the coast between the [[Buller River|Buller]] and [[Grey River (New Zealand)|Grey]] Rivers, with the [[Inangahua River]] to the east. The highest peak in the Paparoa Range is [[Mount Uriah]] at {{cvt|1525|m}}, and a number of other peaks are higher than {{cvt|1200|m}}. The [[Papahaua Range]] north of the [[Buller Gorge]] is a geological continuation of the Paparoa Range.<ref name="Te Ara" /> The southern part of the range is located in [[Grey District]] and the northern part in [[Buller District]]. Some of the peaks are on the boundary of the two districts.

==Named peaks==
Many of the named peaks commemorate scientists, with this theme started by [[Julius von Haast]].<ref name="Mount Curie">{{LINZ|id=3680|name=Mount Curie |access-date=21 August 2022}}</ref> These include the Buckland Peaks (named after [[William Buckland]]),<ref>{{LINZ|id=17463|name=Buckland Peaks |access-date=21 August 2022}}</ref> Mount Faraday ([[Michael Faraday]]; named by von Haast),<ref>{{cite book |last = Reed |first = A. W. |authorlink = Alexander Wyclif Reed |title = Place Names of New Zealand |year = 2010 |publisher = Raupo |location = Rosedale, North Shore |isbn = 9780143204107 |editor = Peter Dowling |page = 121}}</ref> Mount Curie ([[Marie Curie]]),<ref name="Mount Curie" /> Mount Mendel ([[Gregor Mendel]]),<ref>{{LINZ|id=3770|name=Mount Mendel |access-date=21 August 2022}}</ref> Mount Pasteur ([[Louis Pasteur]]),<ref>{{LINZ|id=3794 |name=Mount Pasteur |access-date=21 August 2022}}</ref> Mount Einstein ([[Albert Einstein]]),<ref>{{LINZ|id=3694 |name=Mount Einstein |access-date=21 August 2022}}</ref> Mount Rutherford ([[Ernest Rutherford]]),<ref>{{LINZ|id=3817 |name=Mount Rutherford |access-date=21 August 2022}}</ref> Mount Euclid ([[Euclid]]),<ref>{{LINZ|id=3700 |name=Mount Euclid |access-date=21 August 2022}}</ref> Mount Fleming ([[Alexander Fleming]]),<ref>{{LINZ|id=3705 |name=Mount Fleming |access-date=21 August 2022}}</ref> Mount Lavoisier ([[Antoine Lavoisier]]),<ref>{{LINZ|id=3751 |name=Mount Lavoisier |access-date=21 August 2022}}</ref> Mount Kelvin ([[William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin]]; named by the botanist William Trownson),<ref>{{LINZ|id=31266 |name=Mount Kelvin |access-date=21 August 2022}}</ref> Mount Copernicus ([[Nicolaus Copernicus]]),<ref>{{LINZ|id=3676|name=Mount Copernicus|access-date=2023-01-16}}</ref> Mount Galileo ([[Galileo Galilei]])<ref>{{LINZ|id=3710|name=Mount Galileo|access-date=2023-01-16}}</ref> and Mount Davy ([[Humphry Davy]]; named by von Haast).<ref>{{LINZ|id=30936 |name=Mount Davy |access-date=21 August 2022}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Paparoa National Park}}
{{Buller District}}
{{Grey District}}

[[Category:Buller District]]
[[Category:Grey District]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of the West Coast Region]]
[[Category:Paparoa National Park]]