Otira River
Encyclopedia
The Otira River is located in the central South Island
of New Zealand
. It rises on the slopes of Mount Rolleston in the Southern Alps
, and flows north for 20 km, passing through the town of Otira
before joining the Taramakau River
. The Taramakau's outflow is into the Tasman Sea
, 12 km south of Greymouth
.
The valley of the Otira River forms the northwestern approach to Arthur's Pass, one of the three main passes across the Southern Alps.
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...
of New Zealand
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...
. It rises on the slopes of Mount Rolleston in the Southern Alps
Southern Alps
The Southern Alps is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the island's western side...
, and flows north for 20 km, passing through the town of Otira
Otira
Otira is a small township seven kilometres north of Arthur's Pass in the central South Island of New Zealand. It is on the western approach to the pass, a saddle between the Otira and Bealey Rivers high in the Southern Alps...
before joining the Taramakau River
Taramakau River
The Taramakau River is in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. It rises in the Southern Alps, 80 kilometres due east of Hokitika, and immediately below the saddle of the Harper's Pass, and runs westward for 75 kilometres into the Tasman Sea 15 kilometres south of Greymouth.Several...
. The Taramakau's outflow is into the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
, 12 km south of Greymouth
Greymouth
Greymouth is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coast's inhabitants...
.
The valley of the Otira River forms the northwestern approach to Arthur's Pass, one of the three main passes across the Southern Alps.