Glasgow Range

The Glasgow Range is a mountain range on the northern West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is north of the Papahaua Range and its most significant river is the Mokihinui River.

History of settlement

The Glasgow Range is largely devoid of settlement, though near the Tasman Sea coastline in the foothills are small localities such as Mokihinui and Seddonville. Upon the discovery of coal, the Seddonville Branch railway was built into the foothills in the 1890s, but mining activity declined in the 1970s and the railway closed beyond Ngakawau on 3 May 1981. [David Leitch and Brian Scott, "Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways", rev. ed. (Wellington: Grantham House, 1998), 52-3.]

Geology and weather

Granite soil of poor fertility characterises the Glasgow Range. The climate is cool, humid, and cloudy. Rainfall averages 5,600-6,400 millimetres and is largely brought by westerly winds. Evaporation is low and snow is common during winter. [P. A. Williams, "Subalpine and alpine vegetation of granite ranges in western Nelson, New Zealand", "New Zealand Journal of Botany" 29 [1991] : 318.]

Wildlife

A rare mollusc, the Powelliphanta lignaria rotella, is found only on the western slopes of the Glasgow Range in the Seddonville area and is considered nationally endangered. [Department of Conservation, [http://www.doc.govt.nz/templates/MultipageDocumentPage.aspx?id=39593 New Zealand Threat Classification System lists – 2002 - Terrestrial invertebrate - part one] , accessed 23 June 2007.] Found throughout the range are goats, while red deer were numerous prior to helicopter hunting that was especially popular in the 1970s. [Williams, "Subalpine and alpine vegetation", 319.]

References