The Rees River (

Māori language Māori (), or ('the Māori language'), also known as ('the language'), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, an ...

: ''Puahiri'' or ''Puahere'') is a headwater tributary of the Clutha River / Mata-Au that drains eastward of the main divide of the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana in New Zealand. The river runs 41 km, drains an area of 406 km², and discharges into the head of

Lake Wakatipu Lake Wakatipu ( mi, Whakatipu Waimāori) is an inland lake ( finger lake) in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of the Otago region, near its boundary with Southland. ''Lake Wakatipu'' comes from the original Māori ...

at Glenorchy. Bound by the Richardson (''Whakaari'') Mountains to the east and the Forbes Mountains to the west, its snow-covered headwaters rise above 2000 m. The upper parts of the Rees River occupy a formerly glaciated valley that was fed by the Tyndall Glacier, which now drains into the adjacent Dart Valley. Below Rees Saddle the river valley is constrained by a series of steep alluvial fans that are fed from tributary basins. The lithology of the Rees catchment is highly erodible

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes ...

of the Aspiring lithologic association. The underlying schist is highly fissive due to its fine-grain, segregated quart-feldspar-mica composition.McSaveney, M.J., Glassey, P.J. 2002. The fatal Cleft Peak debris flow of 3 January 2002, Upper Rees Valley, West Otago Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences science report 2002/03. 28 p. The Rees valley, covered in

tussock Tussock may refer to: * Tussock grass, a group of species in the family Poaceae *Floating island * Lymantriinae, called tussock moths or tussocks See also * Hassock (disambiguation) Hassock may refer to: * Kneeler, a cushion or a piece of f ...

and native forest, is a popular location for recreational fly fishing, pack rafting and

tramping Tramping may refer to: Travel * Hiking * Trekking * Tramping in New Zealand, a style of backpacking or hiking *Czech tramping, a Czech outdoors pastime Places *Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380, Saskatchewan, Canada ** Tramping Lake, Sa ...

, including the Dart-Rees Track, a five-day loop which crosses from the upper reaches of the Rees into the valley of the Dart River / Te Awa Whakatipu. However, the steep hillsides, easily erodible rock, proximity to the Alpine Fault, and intense rainfalls contribute to geohazard risks in the region. A debris flow swept away a hiker during a river crossing in an unnamed tributary in the Upper Rees Valley near Cleft Peak in January 2002. The Rees river and valley get their gazetted name from the high country station, was originally part of the runs established by William Gilbert Rees, the first sheep farmer in the Wakatipu Basin. Ownership of the station has been in the Scott family since 1905; the Rees Valley Station is maintained in perpetuity as a part of Crown Pastoral Lease.

In popular culture

The lower Rees Valley, which continues to operate as a beef and sheep grazing farm, was a filming location for '' Mission: Impossible – Fallout'', and the television drama series '' Top of the Lake''.

References

{{coord, 44, 51, S, 168, 23, E, display=title, region:NZ_type:river_source:GNS-enwiki Rivers of Otago Rivers of New Zealand