Wick Mountains

Wick Mountains
Wick Mountains
	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
Peak	Mount Elliot
Elevation	1,990 m (6,530 ft)
Coordinates	44°47′40″S 167°53′46″E / 44.79431°S 167.89604°E
Geography
Location	Fiordland, South Island, New Zealand
Climbing
Normal route	Homer Tunnel
Access	State 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 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 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
Sheerdown Peak	1,878 metres (6,161 ft)	44°41′58″S 167°56′21″E / 44.69935°S 167.93907°E / -44.69935; 167.93907	Sheerdown Peak from Milford Sound
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
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]
Clinton River Valley showing Wicks Mountains to right in view towards McKinnon Pass (Oil, John Elder Moultray about 1910, Auckland Museum).