The Lords River, officially Lords River / ,
is a river located on the eastern coast of
Stewart Island
Stewart Island (, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura, formerly New Leinster) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait.
It is a roughly triangular island with a la ...
,
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 ...
.
Etymology and Naming
The river is traditionally known in
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
as , sometimes rendered as Tutae-Ka-Wetoweto. The name has been officially recognized as part of the dual naming policy established under the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998.
The river was originally named Port South East by the European explorer Owen Smith when he charted the island in 1804. In 1809, it was renamed Lords River by Welsh sealer and explorer John Grono during his coastal explorations.
Geography
Lords River flows generally southeast across the island and empties into the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
. It is the largest navigable river on Stewart Island and is surrounded by dense native forest, with rich biodiversity in its watershed.
Ecological Significance
The river and its surrounding area are part of the
Rakiura National Park
Rakiura National Park is a nature reserve park located on Stewart Island / Rakiura, New Zealand. It is the newest National parks of New Zealand, national park of New Zealand and opened in 2002. The protected area covers about 85% of the island.
...
, New Zealand's newest national park, established in 2002. The river system supports populations of native birds such as the South Island kaka,
tui, and is also home to rare freshwater fish species.
Cultural Importance
For Ngāi Tahu, the iwi (tribe) with mana whenua over Stewart Island, the river is of cultural and historical importance, associated with traditional travel routes, fishing grounds, and spiritual significance.
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 ...
*
Stewart Island
Stewart Island (, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura, formerly New Leinster) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait.
It is a roughly triangular island with a la ...
References
{{Stewart Island / Rakiura
Rivers of Stewart Island
Ngāi Tahu