The Deception River is a river in
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. It is a tributary of the
West Coast's
ÅŒtira River
The ÅŒtira River is located in the central South Island of New Zealand. It rises on the slopes of Mount Rolleston in the Southern Alps, and flows north for , passing through the town of Otira before joining the Taramakau River.
The Taramakau ...
, flowing generally north for from its source on the slopes of
Mount Franklin. It passes close to Goat Pass, which gives access to the
Mingha River. Almost the entire length of the river is within the
Arthur's Pass National Park
Arthur's Pass National Park is located in the South Island of New Zealand and covers 1,185 km2 of mostly mountainous terrain. Adjacent to it lies Craigieburn Forest Park. The park is administered by the New Zealand Department of Co ...
.
The river was once called "Goat Creek". It was surveyed about 1900 as a possible alternative route for the
Midland Line, and the surveyor warned that the water levels could be deceiving. About three months later, a flood from the river into the Otira Valley caused several thousand dollars' worth of damage to the railway, and the river was given its current name.
The
Department of Conservation maintains a
tramping track alongside the river, and it is part of the annual
Coast to Coast race.
Backcountry hut
A wilderness hut, bothy, backcountry hut, or backcountry shelter is a free, primitive mountain hut for temporary accommodation, usually located in wilderness areas, national parks and along backpacking (wilderness), backpacking and hiking route ...
s are available for trampers; one near Goat Pass and another a little further down the river.
See also
*
List of rivers of New Zealand
This is a list of all waterways named as rivers in New Zealand.
A
* Aan River
* Acheron River (Canterbury)
* Acheron River (Marlborough)
* Ada River (New Zealand), Ada River
* Adams River (New Zealand), Adams River
* Ahaura River
* Ahuriri R ...
References
Land Information New Zealand- Search for Place Names
Rivers of the West Coast Region
Rivers of New Zealand
Westland District
Arthur's Pass National Park
{{WestCoastNZ-river-stub