The Makarora River is in the

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 ...

region 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.

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 headwaters are in

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 ...

, on the eastern flanks 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

Haast Pass Haast Pass / Tioripatea is a mountain pass in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand. Māori used the pass in pre-European times. The pass takes its name from Julius von Haast, a 19th-century explorer who also served as provinci ...

, which is the saddle between the Makarora and Haast River valleys. The Makarora River flows south into the northern end of

Lake Wānaka Lake Wānaka is New Zealand's List of lakes in New Zealand#Largest lakes, fourth-largest lake and the seat of the town of Wānaka in the Otago region. The lake is 278 meters above sea level, covers , and is more than deep. "Wānaka" is the So ...

after passing the small community of Makarora. The river attracts some recreational

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

jetboat A jetboat is a boat propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft. Unlike a powerboat or motorboat that uses an external propeller in the water below or behind the boat, a jetboat draws the water from under the boat through a ...

ing and

kayak ] A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word ''kayak'' originates from the Inuktitut word '' qajaq'' (). In British English, the kayak is also considered to be ...

ing. Rainbow trout, Rainbow and

brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a species of salmonid ray-finned fish and the most widely distributed species of the genus ''Salmo'', endemic to most of Europe, West Asia and parts of North Africa, and has been widely introduced globally ...

migrate from Lake Wānaka up the river and its tributaries to spawn, mainly in autumn and winter.

Landslide

In September 2007 a landslide in the Young River valley blocked off the corresponding stream. Young River is a tributary to Makarora River. The landslide created a new lake which appears to be permanent.

Tourism

follows the Makarora River for the majority of its course from just south of Haast Pass. A popular short walk leads to its confluence with the Blue River, at the aptly named Blue Pools. Cameron Flat Campground is a convenient campsite with a cooking shelter and bathrooms directly off State Highway 6.

Gallery

File:Cameron Flat Campground at dawn.jpg, Cameron Flat Campground File:Makarora River near West Makarora Township.jpg, The Makarora River near West Makarora township File:Makarora River and Courtneys Flat, New Zealand 02.jpg, The Makarora River at Courtneys Flat File:20250221-DJI 0963.jpg, Aerial

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20100105121020/http://www.geonet.org.nz/landslide/young-river-landslide/index.html * https://web.archive.org/web/20100522172420/http://www.geonet.org.nz/docs/landslide/reports/Young-River-poster-A3.pdf Rivers of Otago Rivers of Mount Aspiring National Park Landslide-dammed lakes Tributaries of the Clutha River {{Otago-river-stub