Dart River (Otago)

Dart River near Glenorchy

The Dart River ( Māori Te Awa Wakatipu ) is a river in the Otago region in the southwest of the South Island of New Zealand.

The river from the glacier of Dart Glacier in the Southern Alps and flows partly in Mount Aspiring National Park in south-west and then south. After 60 km, it flows west of Glenorchy in the north end of Lake Wakatipu. He was named in the 1860s by the sheep farmer William Gilbert Rees because of its fast flowing water.

In the environment of the river run several well-known hiking trails, especially the Rees- Dart track which follows the valleys of the Dart River and the eastern Rees River. On the River jetboat rides are offered.

On the Dart River scenes of the trilogy Lord of the Rings were filmed, including the Isengard was recorded at Dan 's Paddock and Lothlórien, which lies somewhat further north in the woods.

At the headwaters of the river fell in 1989 from a Britten- Norman Islander of Aspiring Air, and all 10 occupants were killed.