The Blue Mountains and the Hunter Range make up part of the scene below. This is how it appears in an Terra MISR image taken just before the Olympics 2000 began in September. The city itself is just right of center. Most of the upper right has been undeveloped but over the years, much of the remaining area has been cleared by burning. Wheat is the principal crop.
Salt lakes appear in the virgin lands.
These landmasses form near a major plate boundary between the Pacific and Indo-Australian plates. North Island is notable for its several active volcanoes and a major geyser-hot steam field. But to those who have toured N.Z., South Island is ranked as even more striking because of its spectacular mountains and lush plains. Note the effect on the regional topography by the Alpine Fault. The Alps have been extensively glaciated, producing the rugged peaks and valleys walls that resemble Yosemite in California.