Wick Mountains

Wick Mountains
Map
The Wick 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 composes most of the mountains.
Highest point
PeakMount Elliot
Elevation1,990 m (6,530 ft)[1]
Coordinates44°47′40″S 167°53′46″E / 44.79431°S 167.89604°E / -44.79431; 167.89604
Geography
Map
LocationFiordland, South Island, New Zealand
Climbing
Normal routeHomer Tunnel
AccessState Highway 94 (New Zealand)

The Wick Mountains are a range within New Zealand's Fiordland National Park, the country's biggest national park. Their highest peak is Mount Elliot 1,990 metres (6,530 ft),[1] and this can be seen in fine weather from the Milford Track, a popular tourist walking track.

Geography

The range is bounded by the Arthur River to the west, Milford Sound (Piopiotahi) and the valley of the Cleddau River to the west, the Homer Saddle, which separates them from the Darren Mountains to the north west and the valleys of the Neil Burn and Clinton River to the south. The Homer Tunnel lies under the north eastern extreme of the range.[2]

Sheerdown Peak in the range is at the southern end of Milford Sound rising above the airport flat.[2]

The mountains were named by Donald Sutherland after his birthplace in Caithness, Scotland.[3]

Selected Peaks in Wick Mountains
Peak Height[1] Coordinate[1] Picture
Mount Elliot 1,990 metres (6,530 ft) 44°46′47″S 167°47′06″E / 44.77979°S 167.78501°E / -44.77979; 167.78501
Mount Elliot with Jervois Glacier in 2022.
Mount Belle 1,965 metres (6,447 ft) 44°46′28″S 167°59′06″E / 44.77454°S 167.98501°E / -44.77454; 167.98501
Mount Belle
Mount Moir 1,965 metres (6,447 ft) 44°46′22″S 167°58′38″E / 44.77267°S 167.97718°E / -44.77267; 167.97718
Mount Moir
Mount Anau 1,956 metres (6,417 ft) 44°51′57″S 167°55′18″E / 44.86588°S 167.92170°E / -44.86588; 167.92170
Mount Mitchelson 1,936 metres (6,352 ft) 44°48′04″S 167°53′27″E / 44.80120°S 167.89074°E / -44.80120; 167.89074
Mount Gendarme 1,931 metres (6,335 ft) 44°47′08″S 167°56′43″E / 44.78564°S 167.94528°E / -44.78564; 167.94528
Access Peak 1,865 metres (6,119 ft) 44°44′10″S 167°54′57″E / 44.73623°S 167.91582°E / -44.73623; 167.91582
Access Peak
Mount Balloon 1,847 metres (6,060 ft) 44°47′59″S 167°47′17″E / 44.79976°S 167.78795°E / -44.79976; 167.78795
Mount Wilmur 1,710 metres (5,610 ft) 44°47′07″S 167°47′46″E / 44.78537°S 167.79610°E / -44.78537; 167.79610
Mount Wilmer is to the right. This picture taken in high summer 2014 also shows to the left Mount Elliot with Jervois Glacier and can be compared to another picture on this page.

Geology

The Wick Mountains are predominantly composed of a biotite from volcanic diorite dated just to their north to 138 ± 2.9 Ma and with younger intusion dykes of say quartz monzodiorite dated at 136 ± 1.9 Ma.[4] 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).[4] The mountains also have components to their southwest of orthogneiss.[5]

Climbing

Some of the mountains have known mountain climbing routes[6] on what has been described as "amazing diorite".[7]

  • The Hirere Falls on the Milford Track are on the south western extreme of the Wick Mountains. The peaks behind at up to 1,920 metres (6,300 ft) do not have official names.[1]
    The Hirere Falls on the Milford Track are on the south western extreme of the Wick Mountains. The peaks behind at up to 1,920 metres (6,300 ft) do not have official names.[1]
  • Clinton River Valley showing Wicks Mountains to right in view towards McKinnon Pass (Oil, John Elder Moultray about 1910, Auckland Museum).
    Clinton River Valley showing Wicks Mountains to right in view towards McKinnon Pass (Oil, John Elder Moultray about 1910, Auckland Museum).

References

  1. ^ a b c d e NZTopoMap:Wick Mountains
  2. ^ a b Dowling, P. (ed.) (2004). ’’Reed New Zealand atlas’’. Auckland: Reed Publishing. Map 89. ISBN 0 7900 0952 8
  3. ^ New Zealand Gazetteer:Wick Mountains Source: Reed, A.W. & Peter Dowling, Place Names of New Zealand, 2010
  4. ^ a b 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.
  5. ^ NZ 1:250K Geological GNS science
  6. ^ "ClimbNZ:Wick Mountains (80 routes)". Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  7. ^ "ClimbNZ:Mt Moir (27 routes)". Retrieved 15 March 2023.

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