The Travers River is in 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 lies within the borders of the

Nelson Lakes National Park Nelson Lakes National Park is in the South Island of New Zealand, at the northern end of the Southern Alps. It was created in 1956 (one of four created in the 1950s). The park contains beech forests, multiple lakes, snow-covered mountains and v ...

. The valley through which the river flows is popular with

tramp A tramp is a long-term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking all year round. Etymology Tramp is derived from a Middle English verb meaning to "walk with heavy footsteps" (''cf.'' modern English '' ...

ers and is part of the Travers-Sabine tramping circuit, which follows a major portion of the river, starting from Kerr Bay at Saint Arnaud and, after crossing the Travers Saddle (1787 metres), descends the valley of the Sabine River. The river feeds into Lake Rotoiti. It is not a navigable waterway due to its small size and numerous rocky cascades. The lower reaches of the river lie in open tussock which was burnt and grazed by early

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an settlers. Further upstream the river flows through unmodified

beech Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...

forest. The upper reaches are in subalpine scrub above the bushline. The

New Zealand Department of Conservation The Department of Conservation (DOC; Māori language, Māori: ''Te Papa Atawhai'') is the public service department of New Zealand charged with the conservation of New Zealand's natural and historical heritage. An advisory body, the New Zealand ...

maintains a number of mountain huts and shelters along the length of the Travers Valley and within the surrounding mountains. These include the Lake Head Hut, Coldwater Hut, the Angelus Hut, the Hopeless Hut, the Cupola Basin Hut, John Tait Hut, and the Upper Travers Hut. Details of these can be obtained from the DOC Visitors Centre in Saint Arnaud. The river, as well as the nearby Mount Travers, the Travers Range, and the Travers-Sabine Circuit in

are named after the 19th-century New Zealand politician and naturalist William Travers.

References

Rivers of the Tasman District Nelson Lakes National Park {{Tasman-river-stub