wenty-three kilometres further north, the Franz Joseph Glacier can no longer be seen from State Highway 6, but on a dull day there is no mistaking its presence as a pale light emanates from the deep valley through which it moves. To see it, visitors must follow the valley road, whereupon the glacier comes into sight with dramatic suddenness - a river of white and blue ice flowing down from the snowfields high above, between the Baird and Fritz Ranges.

The glacier feeds the swift and turbulent Waiho ‘smoking water’ River - the Maori name comes from the vapour rising from its ice-cold surface. It carries pieces of ice with it on its headlong rush towards the sea. From the access road, a short walk will take you to Peter's Pool, a tarn left behind as the glacier retreated.

North of Franz Josef a drive of perhaps 20 minutes down a no-exit road off State Highway 6 takes you to Okarito, justifiably famed for the breeding colony of kotuku, or white heron, on the Waitangiroto River lagoon north of the Okarito lagoon. Although indications are that they were once more widespread, when the Pakeha arrived they had already been reduced to one small colony breeding on the Waitangiroto and a demand for kotuku feathers for the millinery trade reduced them still further, from 25 pairs in 1871 to about four in 1940.

Since then, with rigorous protection, the recovery has been slow but steady and today there are between 100 and 120 birds at Waitangiroto, about half of breeding age. Little shags and royal spoonbills also nest here and trips to see all of these birds can be arranged in Whataroa on State Highway 6.

The kotuku arrive here in September, which coincides with the whitebait run in the nearby river, and disperse throughout the country after breeding is completed, which is usually sometime in January. i Thomas Potts was one of the first Pakeha to visit the heronry and although never noted for the restraint of his writing he is even more effusive about the kotuku:

One gazes with delight on the flight of the kotuku on the purity of its plumage, relieved by the spear-like bill and black feet, whilst the movement of its arched wings lends an impression of aerial softness, like the waving of a delicate feathery fan, such as some gentle spirit might employ to win to the forget forgetfulness of slumber the restless soul of some warrior chief

Near the white heron nesting site, and framed by flax and forest, Lake Rotokino is yet another beautiful lake in this part of the country. The adjoining Rotokmo Swamp, which was once rich in birdlifeand contained a sizeable population of giant kokopu, is now mostly drained. Kokopu are the largest of our galaxid fishes and probably the most beautiful, with a pattern of golden stars on a velvety brown background. However, they are also now much reduced in numbers through habitat loss. Their young are a small component of the annual whitebait run which is made up of the fry of a number of different fish.

Abut Head at the mouth of the Whataroa River is considered to be one of the most spectacular coastal landforms along the entire West Coast. It has long been rendered relatively inaccessible to development by rivers, lagoons and the sea, and this has also meant that it is still close to its original state with some of the best birdlife on the coast being found here.

Further up State Highway 6, about 15 kilometres north of Harihari is yet another of Westland’s beautiful U". Byron’s poem 'Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage' was dedicated to Ianthe and the explorer who found tins lake decided it would make a charming name for a charming lake. Ianthe covers an area of some 900 hectares and is surrounded by kahikatea and matai forest. One matai close to the road is reputed to be the largest in New Zealand. It is an enormous tree estimated to be over 1000 years old. Ianthe supports good numbers of brown and rainbow trout and the birdlife too is prolific. More great crested grebes are found here than on any other Westland lake, and black teal and grey duck are also in good numbers.