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ALONE IN THE WILDERNESS

Today experienced trampers can find �@huge expanses which offer neither tracks nor huts nor any other sign of human inhabitation, giving them the opportunity to revel in the rare and sometimes frightening sense of （　�A　） solitude.（3） With no roads, houses, traffic or noise, walkers easily find themselves overwhelmed by their insignificance in the midst of the magnificent mountain and forest scenery that surrounds them. They are left to depend on their own resources in the knowledge that they are hours away from outside help.
　But less hardy - or more gregarious - visitors can enjoy Te Wahipounamu's wonders in a little more comfort. The world-famous Milford Track offers guided or independent walks of two to five days through spectacular scenery, as do several other �Bless well-known trails, such as the Route burn, Greenstone or Holyford tracks. Numerous shorter walks, ranging from thirty minutes to a full day, are spread along the length of Te Wahipounamu, giving safe and easy access to the wilderness. Several of these walks have been equipped with informative displays to help explorers understand the surrounding landforms, wildlife or vegetation.
　But （4）such displays cannot tell all there is to know about Te Wahipounamu. The region's 2.6 million hectares are breathtaking in the extent and variety of their natural beauty. Forming fully a tenth of New Zealand's entire landmass, the area is united only by its diversity. Changes in vegetation and scenery （　�C　） span thousands of kilometers on the continents are compressed into an area only about 450 km long and between 40 to 90 km wide.
The area contains New Zealand's highest mountains, longest glaciers, tallest forests, wildest rivers and gorges, most rugged coastline, deepest fjords and lakes, and largest populations of forest birds. It is home to the world's largest buttercup, the Mt. Cook Buttercup; possibly the highest sea cliff, Mitre Peak; the world's only alpine parrot, the friendly but mischievous kea; and the total wild population of the rare takahe.
There are dozens of bird species in Te Wahipounamu, （　�D　） many found only in New Zealand. （5）Among the best known is the kea, which shows no fear of intruders, and in fact often seems to actively seek contact with humans - often to their discomfort. With its strong hooked beak, this inquisitive bird can destroy sneakers left outside overnight, canvas or vinyl bags and anything else it decides to take an interest (　�E　）.
New Zealand's smallest bird, the rifleman, lives in the region's mountain forests, and the tiny rock wren can be spotted in alpine areas. One of New Zealand's few alpine birds, the rock wren survives the harsh mountain winters by sheltering in openings within the rock debris beneath the snow. Further down the mountains, the beautifully echoing song of the aptly named bellbird, or korimako, is commonly heard, and careful observers can also see the tui, bush robin, flocks of screeching kaka (forest parrot) and kakariki (parakeet). Tawaki or Fjord land crested penguins inhabit parts of the coastline, while about 50 pairs of the beautiful kotuku (white heron) regularly nest at the northern end of the region.（　�F　） common in other countries, the kotuku is rare in New Zealand and has great spiritual significance for the Maori, who see it as a symbol of all that is beautiful and rare.