The Blue River is a small river in the
South Island
The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
of New Zealand. It flows its entire length within the
Mount Aspiring National Park
Mount Aspiring National Park is in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand, north of Fiordland National Park, situated in Otago and Westland regions. The park forms part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site.
History
Moun ...
, and although on the southeastern side of the main divide, the river is within the boundaries of the
West Coast region for its entire length.
The headwaters are southeast of the main range of the
Southern Alps
The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) are a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand, New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The n ...
near the mountain Eyetooth, with the smaller Blue River North Branch and South Branch joining the main Blue River later. Shortly before flowing into the
Makarora River
The Makarora River is in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand.
Name
The Kāi Tahu name for the river is Makarore. ( in the Kāi Tahu dialect) means stream. However the meaning of in this context is unknown.
Geography
The head ...
, the river passes through a narrow gorge.
At its confluence with the Makarora River, the aptly named Blue Pools are the destination of a popular short walk from , with a bridge crossing the Blue River and providing good views upstream into the gorge and downstream over the river flowing into Makarora River.
The longer Blue Valley tramping track leads deep into the Blue River Valley and along most of the length of the river.
References
Westland District
Rivers of the West Coast Region
Rivers of Mount Aspiring National Park
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