Clutha River

Story

The Clutha River / Mata-Au is the second longest river in New Zealand and the longest in the South Island. It flows south-southeast 338km through Central and South Otago from Lake Wanaka in the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean, 75km south west of Dunedin. It is the highest volume river in New Zealand, and the swiftest, with a catchment of 21960km2, discharging a mean flow of 614m3/s. The Clutha River is known for its scenery, gold-rush history, and swift turquoise waters. A river conservation group, the Clutha Mata-Au River Parkway Group, is working to establish a regional river parkway, with a trail, along the entire river corridor. The name of the river was changed to a dual name by the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998.GeographyThe ultimate source of the river is at the head of the Makarora River, close to the saddle of the Haast Pass, which flows into the northern end of Lake Wanaka. The southern end of the lake drains into the nascent Clutha close to Albert Town, where it is met by its first main tributary, the Hāwea River, the outflow of Lake Wanaka's twin, Lake Hāwea. It is also met here by the Cardrona River.