Moawhango is a rugged high country landscape of sandstone and limestone plateaux, rimmed by steep escarpments and cut through by broad river valleys. Harsh seasonal extremes and the rain shadow of Ruapehu give the area a stark, sub-continental character. Red tussocklands and Dracophyllum shrublands dominate the open plateaux, broken by wetlands and peat basins rich in rare plants, while scattered remnants of beech and kaikawaka forest cling to sheltered slopes. Though much has been altered by burning and farming, the wide skies, tussock expanses and dramatic landforms define its distinctive upland character.