▁this ▁region , ▁forming ▁the ▁Sol ander ▁Islands ▁( < 2 ▁million ▁years ▁old ). ▁This ▁region ▁is ▁domin ated ▁by ▁the ▁rug ged ▁and ▁relatively ▁un touch ed ▁F i ord land , ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁flo oded ▁gla cially ▁car ved ▁valle ys ▁with ▁little ▁human ▁settlement . ▁ ▁Mountain , ▁vol cano es ▁and ▁gla ci ers ▁ ▁The ▁South ▁Island ▁is ▁much ▁more ▁mountain ous ▁than ▁the ▁North , ▁but ▁shows ▁fewer ▁manifest ations ▁of ▁recent ▁vol can ic ▁activity . ▁There ▁are ▁ 1 8 ▁pe aks ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁Southern ▁Al ps , ▁which ▁stretch ▁for ▁ ▁down ▁the ▁South ▁Island . ▁The ▁closest ▁mountains ▁sur pass ing ▁it ▁in ▁elev ation ▁are ▁found ▁not ▁in ▁Australia , ▁but ▁in ▁New ▁Guinea ▁and ▁Ant arct ica . ▁As ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁tower ing ▁pe aks , ▁the ▁Southern ▁Al ps ▁include ▁huge ▁gla ci ers ▁such ▁as ▁Franz ▁Josef ▁and ▁Fox . ▁The ▁country ' s ▁highest ▁mountain ▁is ▁A or aki ▁/ ▁Mount ▁Cook ; ▁its ▁height ▁since ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁is ▁listed ▁as ▁ ▁( down ▁from ▁ ▁before ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁rocks lide ▁and ▁subsequent ▁er os ion ). ▁The ▁second ▁highest ▁peak ▁is ▁Mount ▁Tas man , ▁with ▁a ▁height ▁of ▁. ▁ ▁The ▁North ▁Island ▁Vol can ic ▁Pl ate au ▁covers ▁much ▁of ▁central ▁North ▁Island ▁with ▁vol cano es , ▁la va ▁plate aus , ▁and ▁cr ater