Big River (Southland) Explained

Big River
Native Name:Maori: Hakapoua
Pushpin Map:New Zealand#New Zealand South Island
Pushpin Map Size:270px
Pushpin Map Caption:Mouth of the Big River
Source1:Cameron Mountains
Source1 Coordinates:-46.0045°N 166.9399°W
Source1 Elevation:1304m (4,278feet)
Mouth Location:Foveaux Strait
Mouth Elevation:0m (00feet)
Mouth Coordinates:-46.2167°N 166.9279°W
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:New Zealand
Length:33km (21miles)
Progression:Big RiverFoveaux Strait

The Big River has also been known by several other names, Windsor River[1] and Māori names Hakapoua, Okopowa,[2] Patu-po,[3] or Patupō,[4] though that last name, meaning kill by night, might refer to a place near Long Point and Waitutu. It is a river of southern Fiordland, New Zealand, and is one of three rivers of that name in the South Island. It is the main source of Lake Hakapoua and a lower stretch is the lake's 21NaN1 outflow to the sea. The river rises on the 1123m (3,684feet) high Arnett Peak,[5] in the Cameron Mountains, runs about 23km (14miles) to the lake. At about the mid point of the river it runs through a narrow gorge.[6] Elsewhere it is generally very shallow.[7] The river is in the Fiordland National Park.[8]

The area was used by Kāti Mamoe and later by Ngāi Tahu.

In 1903, when the area was first surveyed, whio, swan, kākāpō, weka and kākā were common.[9] A taihoropī (grebe) has been reported on the lake.[10] Red deer are common in the area.[11]

Geology

The river mostly flows over two rock types. Its upper reaches are mainly on undated, undifferentiated Cameron Group rocks, probably of Cambrian age. They are layers of metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks, with quartz-rich psammite and some pelite, containing sillimanite, feldspar and migmatites.[12] [13]

Medium-grained, massive to weakly foliated, Devonian, Big Pluton rocks, make up the lower part of the Lake Monk (east) arm of the river and down to the sea. Big is part of the Ridge Suite of plutons, made up of biotite, muscovite, garnet, tonalite, grandiorite, granite and monzogranite.

At the southern end of Lake Hakapoua, cataclastic Balleny Basin, Eocene, Macnamara Formation, sedimentary rocks lie over Big Pluton rocks. They consist of a basal conglomerate and pebbly sandstone, covered by carbon-rich mud and sandstones.[12] [13] It was these rocks which slipped in 1915, filling part of the river and Lake Hakapoua, which had until then been tidal.[14]

Like all Fiordland rivers, it has a U-shaped valley, cut by Quaternary glaciers up to 18,000 years ago.

Tracks

Big River is at the end of the South Coast Track, 61km (38miles) from the road at Rarakau (about 28km (17miles)) west of Tuatapere). The track runs via Waikoau River, the former Port Craig tramway, Waitutu River and Aan River. Westies Hut, the nearest hut to Big River, is 2km (01miles) from the mouth of the river.[15] The 5-bunk hut[16] is a former fishing shelter, in an uplifted sea cave, which was restored in 2007.[17]

The South Coast Track used to be part of the telegraph line and track to Puysegur Point,[18] which was built in 1908-9,[19] but replaced by radio in 1925,[20] after many failures and repairs.[21]

Routes have also been described linking Big River from the Richard Burn, or Lake Kakapo,[22] or Lakes Poteriteri and Mouat, all via Lake Monk.[23]

See also

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 11 April 1914 . PLACE NAMES OF OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND Southland Times . 2023-06-02 . paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
  2. Web site: OVERLAND FROM PRESERVATION INLET. (Otago Daily Times, 1872-12-02). paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. en. 2018-06-24.
  3. Web site: PLACE NAMES OF OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND (Southland Times, 1914-04-11). paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. en. 2018-06-24.
  4. Web site: PRESERVATION INLET (Southland Times, 1914-02-04). paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. en. 2018-06-24.
  5. Web site: Big River, Southland . 2023-06-01 . NZ Topo Map . en.
  6. Web site: Big River, Southland . 2023-06-02 . NZ Topo Map . en.
  7. Web site: G.D. & J.H. Egarr . 1981 . New Zealand Recreational River Survey . NIWA . 57.
  8. Web site: Fiordland National Park Order 1978 (SR 1978/333) . 2023-06-02 . www.legislation.govt.nz.
  9. Web site: 6 May 1903 . ROUND FIORD COUNTY Otago Witness . 2023-06-02 . paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
  10. Web site: Hoary-headed grebe Taihoropī . 2023-06-01 . nzbirdsonline.org.nz.
  11. Web site: 1988 . The...Express hits Fiordland . 2023-06-01 . nzetc.victoria.ac.nz.
  12. Web site: 2010 . Qmap Geology of the Fiordland area : scale 1:250,000 . GNS.
  13. Web site: 2010 . Geology of the Fiordland Area - GNS Science . 2022-12-23 . yumpu.com . 10 . en.
  14. Stanton . B. R. . Pickrill . R. A. . June 1988 . Trapped sea water in Lake Hakapoua . New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research . en . 22 . 2 . 293–294 . 10.1080/00288330.1988.9516301 . 0028-8330.
  15. Web site: South Coast Track . 2023-06-01 . www.doc.govt.nz . en-nz.
  16. Web site: Westies Hut . 2023-06-02 . www.doc.govt.nz . en-nz.
  17. Web site: Hindmarsh . Gerard . 2020-04-17 . Tribute to a true outsider . 2023-06-01 . Stuff . en.
  18. Web site: 23 September 1916 . A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE Southland Times . 2023-06-01 . paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
  19. Web site: 20 December 1909 . Public Works Statement. By The Hon. Roderick Mckenzie, Minister Of Public Works. . 2023-06-01 . paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
  20. Web site: 1925 . PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT BY THE HON. J. G. COATES, MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS . 2023-06-01 . paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
  21. Web site: 18 February 1922 . PUYSEGUR POINT Southland Times . 2023-06-04 . paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
  22. Web site: Abbott . Mick . 2016-02-02 . No. 11 - Experience Fiordland . 2023-06-01 . Wilderness Magazine . en-GB.
  23. Web site: Lake Mouat - Lake Monk, 14 - 27 January 2016 - Danilo . 2023-06-01 . www.southernalpsphotography.com . en.