The Hollyford River / Whakatipu Kā Tuka is in the southwest of 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 runs for through

Fiordland Fiordland (, "The Pit of Tattooing", and also translated as "the Shadowlands"), is a non-administrative geographical region of New Zealand in the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the western third of Southland. Most of F ...

, its sources being close to the Homer Tunnel and in Gertrude Valley in the southern

Darran Mountains The Darran Mountains are a prominent range within New Zealand's Fiordland National Park, the country's biggest national park. They contain the park's highest peak, Mount Tūtoko (). Geography The range lies between Milford Sound (Piopiotahi) a ...

. At first, the river flows southeast and east, coming as close as 1 km to the east–west divide of the South Island, before continuing north through the

glacier A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...

-formed Hollyford Valley. Near the end, the river passes through Lake McKerrow before reaching Martins Bay on the coast of the

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who in 1642 wa ...

north of

Milford Sound Milford Sound (, officially gazetted as Milford Sound / Piopiotahi) is a fiord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage ...

. The Hollyford Track follows the river's course. Part of the river's course is traditionally regarded as the boundary between the Southland and

Otago Otago (, ; ) is a regions of New Zealand, region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island and administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local go ...

regions, however, current maps show the entirety of the Hollyford Valley contained within the Southland Region. In January 1863, Patrick Caples explored the river, naming it after his home town of Hollyford, County Tipperary in Ireland. Following the passage of the

Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 The Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 is an act of parliament passed in New Zealand relating to Ngāi Tahu, the principal Māori (tribe) of the South Island. The act's purpose is to settle all of the tribe's claims under the Treaty of Wa ...

, the name of the river was officially altered to Hollyford River / Whakatipu Kā Tuka. In September 1863

James Hector Sir James Hector (16 March 1834 – 6 November 1907) was a Scottish-New Zealand geologist, naturalist, and surgeon who accompanied the Palliser Expedition as a surgeon and geologist. He went on to have a lengthy career as a government employed ...

used the names Kaduku River and Kakapo Lake for Hollyford River and Lake M’Kerrow. These names were occasionally used in later accounts. Three sections of the river are regularly travelled by kayak: *Monkey Creek - Falls Creek: Grade: V+ *Falls Creek - Marian Swingbridge: Grade: III - IV *Marian Creek Run: Grade: IV - V

References

External links

Hollyford Valley
at the Department of Conservation {{Fiordland Rivers of Fiordland Fiordland National Park