Physical Features of New Zealand proper. 27 
As to the cause of the New Zealand glacial period, the general view is 
that it resulted from elevation of the land, and botanical evidence supports 
this theory. But it may have been due to a colder climate, while greater catch- 
ment-areas, as HAAST and MORGAN have maintained, would also cause glacial 
extension. 
Sea-coast. The coast-line in general is little broken. Notable exceptions 
are the Marlborough Sounds and the S. W. Otago fiords, the former drowned 
river-valleys and the latter of glacial origin. Banks Peninsula contains a 
number of inlets, some originally volcanic craters. There are also a few 
shallow estuaries, more or less closed by sand or gravel spits, in the S. E. 
and N. whose floors are partly bare at low-water. 
In many places the coast is low and the shore sandy, so that long stretches 
of dunes occur, the most important being Farewell Spit and areas in the N.E., 
E. and S. Shingly shores correlated with the great river-beds are frequent 
in many parts. 
The coast is frequently rocky, where mountain-ranges or hills come to 
the shore-line, as in the S. E., Otago and Banks Peninsulas (volcanic), Amuri 
Bluff and Kaikoura Peninsulas (limestone), the N. E., N. and N. W. (granite) 
and the S. W. 
Coastal islands are few. The more important are those to the N. of 
Marlborough and those in Foveaux Strait. The Open Bay Islands on the W. 
are composed of limestone, and although mere islets they possess a remark- 
able plant-covering. 
c. Stewart Island. 
Stewart Island lies about 25 km from the South Island from which it is 
nn by Foveaux Strait, this nowhere more than 48 m deep. 
In shape the island is ER triangular. The surface is hilly, much 
broken and in parts mountainous, the peaks varying from 676 m to 975 m. 
There is but little truly flat ground. East of the central range the land is 
low, but broken. At the head of Paterson Inlet a narrow valley, the Fresh- 
water, extends northwards to the Ruggedy Mts., while eastward a depression ä 
en out into an ancient dune-area connects the valley and the ER coast. 
West of Port Fepasug there is some low boggy moorland. 
eneral, 
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rocky. oe Man Far BEN Der 
shape, enclosei by hills- and dotted“ with forest 
westward for 17 km putting. forth three diverging arı 
in the S., Fue DaB} WER Due 5.2 co Ion 
blocked by three islands. 
There are a number oontying 
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