The Darran Mountains are a prominent range within New Zealand's Fiordland National Park, the country's biggest national park. They contain the park's highest peak, Mount Tūtoko (2,723 metres (8,934 ft)).

Darran Mountains
Map
The Darran Mountains are shaded purple. This map also shows the approximate extent of the geological magma origin Darran Suite of gabbronorite and dioritic orthogneiss in red shading which is named after the mountains, is more resistant to erosion than the other rocks of the mountains, and reaches higher heights.
Highest point
Elevation2,723 m (8,934 ft)[1]
Parent peakMount Tūtoko
Coordinates44°40′S 168°05′E / 44.667°S 168.083°E / -44.667; 168.083
Geography
Map
LocationFiordland, South Island, New Zealand
Geology
Rock age138–136 Ma
Rock typeDiorite
Volcanic arc/beltZealandia Median Tectonic Zone
Last eruption136 ± 1.9 Ma[2]
Climbing
Normal routeHomer Tunnel
AccessState Highway 94 (New Zealand)

Geography

edit

The range lies between Milford Sound (Piopiotahi) and the valley of the Cleddau River (to the west) and the broad valley of the Hollyford River to the east at the northern end of the national park. They are bounded to the south by the Homer Saddle, which separates them from the Wick Mountains, and to the north by the coast of the Tasman Sea. The Homer Tunnel lies under the southwesternmost extreme of the range.[3]

Other than Mount Tūtoko, other prominent peaks in the range include Mount Madeline and Mount Christina. Numerous lakes and tarns are found within the range, among the largest being Lake Adelaide and Lake Marian, and several rivers have their watershed in the mountains, such as the Tūtoko, Kaipo, and Bowen Rivers. The Bowen River, close to its mouth, provides one of Milford Sound's more notable natural attractions, the Bowen Falls.[3]

The mountains were named by Captain J. Stokes, an early surveyor of the West Coast of the South Island.[4]

Selected Peaks in Darran Mountains
Peak Height[1] Coordinate[1] Picture
Mount Tūtoko 2,723 metres (8,934 ft) 44°35′41″S 168°00′45″E / 44.59460°S 168.01254°E / -44.59460; 168.01254
 
Mount Tūtoko towards the south from the Hollyford Track.
Mount Madeline 2,536 metres (8,320 ft) 44°36′51″S 168°02′45″E / 44.61420°S 168.04589°E / -44.61420; 168.04589
Mount Christina 2,474 metres (8,117 ft) 44°47′35″S 168°02′55″E / 44.79310°S 168.04849°E / -44.79310; 168.04849
 
Mount Christina
Mount Te Wera 2,309 metres (7,575 ft) 44°39′30″S 168°03′15″E / 44.65841°S 168.05429°E / -44.65841; 168.05429
Mount Crosscut 2,263 m (7,425 ft) 44°45′50″S 168°01′51″E / 44.76402°S 168.03086°E / -44.76402; 168.03086
 
Mount Crosscut beyond Lake Marian in a view toward the northwest
Mount Patuki 2,246 metres (7,369 ft) 44°40′09″S 168°01′24″E / 44.66920°S 168.02344°E / -44.66920; 168.02344
Mount Grave 2,225 metres (7,300 ft) 44°35′32″S 167°57′12″E / 44.59230°S 167.95345°E / -44.59230; 167.95345
Mount Syme 2,188 metres (7,178 ft) 44°37′37″S 168°01′56″E / 44.62697°S 168.03213°E / -44.62697; 168.03213
Paranui Peak 2,167 metres (7,110 ft) 44°34′17″S 167°58′44″E / 44.57128°S 167.97893°E / -44.57128; 167.97893
Mount Gifford 2,149 metres (7,051 ft) 44°43′30″S 168°04′33″E / 44.72506°S 168.07589°E / -44.72506; 168.07589
 
East aspect of Mount Gifford
]Mount Talbot 215 metres (705 ft) 44°45′03″S 167°59′51″E / 44.750825°S 167.997525°E / -44.750825; 167.997525
 
Mount Talbot
Mount Tuhawaiki 2,092 metres (6,864 ft) 44°41′02″S 168°04′39″E / 44.68385°S 168.07761°E / -44.68385; 168.07761
Mount Pembroke 2,015 m (6,611 ft) 44°34′05″S 167°53′08″E / 44.56794°S 167.88565°E / -44.56794; 167.88565
 
Mount Pembroke
Barren Peak 1,561 m (5,121 ft) 44°39′41″S 167°57′03″E / 44.66148°S 167.95070°E / -44.66148; 167.95070
 
Bowen Falls from Milford Sound with Barren Peak behind.
Rover Peak 1,524 m (5,000 ft) 44°35′09″S 167°51′17″E / 44.58596°S 167.85483°E / -44.58596; 167.85483
The Lion 1,302 m (4,272 ft) 44°36′35″S 167°53′03″E / 44.60983°S 167.88425°E / -44.60983; 167.88425

Geology

edit

The highest mountains are predominantly composed of a biotite from volcanic diorite dated to 138 ± 2.9 Ma and with younger intrusion dykes of say quartz monzodiorite dated at 136 ± 1.9 Ma.[2] These rocks are part of the Median Tectonic Zone that separates the Western and Eastern provinces of Zealandia rocks. They cover an area of about 740 km2 (290 sq mi).[2] The mountains also have components to their north of rocks such as metamorphosed sandstone and gneiss from the Western Province. In the south eastern tip is found quartz diorite.[2]

Climbing

edit

Many of the mountains have known mountain climbing routes.[5]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e NZTopoMap:Milford Sound
  2. ^ a b c d A Wandres; SD Weaver; D Shelley; JD Bradshaw (1998). "Diorites and associated intrusive and metamorphic rocks of the Darran Complex, Mount Underwood, Milford, southwest New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics. 41 (1): 1–14. doi:10.1080/00288306.1998.9514786.
  3. ^ a b Dowling, P. (ed.) (2004). ’’Reed New Zealand atlas’’. Auckland: Reed Publishing. Map 89. ISBN 0 7900 0952 8
  4. ^ Reed, A.W. (1975). Place names of New Zealand. Wellington: A.H. & A.W. Reed. p. 99.
  5. ^ "ClimbNZ:Darran Mountains (457 routes)". Retrieved 15 March 2023.