When the image to the right was captured late that morning by the European Space Agency’s ENVISAT satellite, the verdant plains and snow-capped mountains stood out in contrast to the surrounding dark waters of the Tasman Sea and South Pacific.

The Southern Alps can be seen running down the western coast of the South Island, along with the thousands of glaciers that blanket the dividing range.

The mountains were named by Captain Cook on March 23, 1770, when he described their "prodigious height.”

Also visible in the image is the lush landscape of the Wiamea Plains and other pastoral settings of the Southland. Sheep and deer farming are prevalent across the area.

The rough and seismically active terrain of Fiordland National Park appears in the lower left of the image.

The name Fiordland comes from a variant spelling of the Scandinavian word for this type of steep valley, "fjord."

Such a sunny day is rare for this southwest coastal region, which receives around 250 inches of rainfall each year.

Image: European Space Agency - Chelys