Southwestern New Zealand, known as Te Wāhipounamu, is a vast, largely wilderness area on the South Island encompassing four national parks and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It features a dramatic landscape of snow-capped mountains, glaciers, deep fjords, and temperate rainforests, shaped by tectonic activity and glaciation. This region is a stronghold for unique and endangered wildlife, rich in cultural significance for the Māori people, and known for its pristine, undeveloped beauty.