Whataroa River Upper Reaches Westland New Zealand Aotearoa

The Whataroa River, sometimes the Wataroa River, is a

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

in the southern West Coast region of New Zealand's

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 ...

. Its source is below

Hochstetter Dome Hochstetter Dome is a mountain in New Zealand. Description Hochstetter Dome is set on the crest or Main Divide of the Southern Alps and is situated on the boundary shared by the West Coast and Canterbury Regions of South Island. This remote ...

in 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 ...

and it flows north and northwest, passing the township of

Whataroa Whataroa is a small township in southern Westland on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is located on alluvial flats to the west of the Whataroa River. passes through Whataroa on its route from Ross to Franz Josef / Waiau. Hari ...

on the eastern side before reaching 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 ...

just south of

Abut Head Abut Head is a forested headland on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is located north of the village of Whataroa and west of Harihari, and is southwest of the Westland District's main centre, Hokitika. On the southern side of t ...

. The river is fed by many tributaries, such as the Perth River, and is crossed by on its route between Whataroa and

Te Taho Whataroa is a small township in southern Westland on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is located on alluvial flats to the west of the Whataroa River. passes through Whataroa on its route from Ross to Franz Josef / Waiau. Hari ...

Recreation

Whitewater Whitewater forms in the context of rapids, in particular, when a river's Stream gradient, gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that foam, froths, making t ...

rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

takes place on the river as an adventure tourism activity. Access to the upper reaches of the river for rafting is either via hiking or helicopter. The river also flows through areas used for tramping and climbing.

References

Westland District Rivers of the West Coast Region Rivers of New Zealand {{WestCoastNZ-river-stub