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what seemed like endless old lava plains it became apparent that in the greater history of our planet , New Zealand is extremely young , believed to be just 25 million years .
Zealandia , the micro continent that holds New Zealand , slipped away from Gondwana during this time , moving away from what is now Australia eventually sliding into the ocean to be consumed by the Pacific Ocean . This micro continent seemed lost forever until the Pacific and Indo-Australian plates began moving together , thrusting Zealandia upward creating a series of islands now known as New Zealand .
The coming together of the two plates is evidenced throughout Te
Waipounamu , a spine of mountains , the Southern Alps display the immense power of nature , and as we sat on the shores of Lake Tekapo , somewhere in the distance was the greatest exponent of these forces , Mount Cook or Aoraki , the country ’ s highest peak .
The lakes of this region have great significance to the Māori people , said to be the result of great explorers digging for fresh water when looking for places to settle . Of course , it ’ s indigenous myth yet one can ’ t help wonder especially when riding
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