Matakitaki River
Encyclopedia
The Matakitaki River is located in the north of New Zealand
's South Island
. An upper tributary of the Buller River
, it flows north and west for 65 kilometres from its source north of the Lewis Pass
, joining the Buller at Murchison
. It has one major tributary, the Glenroy River
.
The "Middle Matakitaki" section is about 10km up the valley from Murchison, and is Grade/Class 2+, with some excellent play spots.
The "Lower Matakitaki" section is a short distance up the river from Murchison
, and is a short technical run pushing Grade/Class 3+ at medium flows, Grade/Class 4 at higher flows.
The Matakitaki River and tributaries are known for gold mining, both historically and today. Alluvial gold is regarded as having a high purity and is often found in the coarse form. Many river flats are subject to mining, including two dredging operations situated within the riverbed within the "Lower" and "Middle" sections.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. An upper tributary of the Buller River
Buller River
The Buller River is in the South Island of New Zealand. One of the country's longest rivers, it flows for 170 kilometres from Lake Rotoiti through the Buller Gorge and into the Tasman Sea near the town of Westport...
, it flows north and west for 65 kilometres from its source north of the Lewis Pass
Lewis Pass
Lewis Pass is a mountain pass in the South Island of New Zealand.The northernmost of the three main passes across the Southern Alps, it is higher than the Haast Pass, but slightly lower than Arthur's Pass...
, joining the Buller at Murchison
Murchison, New Zealand
Murchison is a town in the Tasman Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is near the western end of the "Four Rivers Plain", at the confluence of the Buller River and the Matakitaki River...
. It has one major tributary, the Glenroy River
Glenroy River
The Glenroy River is a tributary of the Matakitaki River in the north of the South Island of New Zealand. It is widely known as a short class 4 river ....
.
Whitewater recreation
The river has two excellent whitewater sections on it, and they are frequently paddled.The "Middle Matakitaki" section is about 10km up the valley from Murchison, and is Grade/Class 2+, with some excellent play spots.
The "Lower Matakitaki" section is a short distance up the river from Murchison
Murchison, New Zealand
Murchison is a town in the Tasman Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is near the western end of the "Four Rivers Plain", at the confluence of the Buller River and the Matakitaki River...
, and is a short technical run pushing Grade/Class 3+ at medium flows, Grade/Class 4 at higher flows.
The Matakitaki River and tributaries are known for gold mining, both historically and today. Alluvial gold is regarded as having a high purity and is often found in the coarse form. Many river flats are subject to mining, including two dredging operations situated within the riverbed within the "Lower" and "Middle" sections.