Wairau River

Wairau River, View from Highway 63

The Wairau River is with its 169 km length of the ninth longest river in the South Island of New Zealand. Taken literally means Wairau " much water ". The real meaning of the name has not yet been clarified.

Geography

The river rises at the foot of Mt Dora ( 2,200 m high) in the Spenser Mountains and drains an area of over 2650 km ². The upper part of the river, also called Upper Wairau River squeezes through a extending to the north valley, which is bordered on the west by the St. Arnaud Range and to the east of the Raglan Range. The Wairau George in the upper part here represents a particular scenic dar. From 1881 to 1884 built Jonathan Brough ( 1839-1927 ) on behalf of the Government of a road through the valley running north and joined at the same time the valley of the Clarence River to the valley of the Wairau River.

After a third of its river course and the intake of plenty of glacier waters of the Wairau River makes directly to the Richmond Range and runs as a kink Lower Wairau River in a widening valley to the east to the Pacific Ocean meet. Having arrived at the coast, the Wairau River finally flows into the Cloudy Bay at two different locations in the ocean.

Use

At the time of European colonization of New Zealand Wairau River landscape was wooded and swampy. The first European settlers arrived in 1842 to Nelson and wanted to settle in the absence of sufficiently good farm land in the Wairau level. But the first major confrontation between European settlers and the Maori, known as the Wairau tumult, delayed colonization by years.

The Lower Wairau River provides with its sand banks and branches of a true angler's paradise Represents the valley is only agriculture but also for its lush vineyards and recognized for good wines known. The upper section of the river is, however, often used for kayaking.

The largest city in the Weirau level is Blenheim on the east coast, known as a center of viticulture in the region of Marlborough.

Environmental problem

Since 2004 the New Zealand electricity generator TrustPower Wairau River along the Lower plans to create an artificial channel in which the diverted river water to be used in five over the length of the river spread hydropower plants to generate electricity. The NZ $ 275 million project to be completed on schedule in 2010. Against this more generally strong protest was spreading because of lower water levels in the original river bed irreparable environmental damage to be feared. A decision on a building permit is expected in late 2007.

Swell

All sources in English

• Encyclopedia of New Zealand 1966
• Marlborough Online
• National Register of Archives and Manuscripts
• Scoop Independent News