Bowen River | |
Name Etymology: | in honour of George Bowen and Diamantina Bowen |
Pushpin Map: | New Zealand Fiordland#New Zealand South Island#New Zealand |
Pushpin Map Size: | 270px |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Mouth of the Bowen River |
Source1: | Darran Mountains |
Source1 Coordinates: | -44.5916°N 167.9351°W |
Mouth Location: | Milford Sound |
Mouth Coordinates: | -44.6656°N 167.9235°W |
Subdivision Type1: | Country |
Subdivision Name1: | New Zealand |
Subdivision Type2: | Region |
Subdivision Name2: | Southland |
Subdivision Type3: | District |
Subdivision Name3: | Southland |
Length: | 9km (06miles)[1] |
The Bowen River is a river in northern Fiordland, New Zealand. The river originates near Mount Grave and is joined by many small streams on its way south through the valley. After close to 9km (06miles), the river plunges from the hanging valley over the 162m (531feet) Lady Bowen Falls and drains into the head of Milford Sound. The falls are named for Diamantina Bowen, wife of George Bowen, the fifth Governor of New Zealand.
As one of only two permanent waterfalls in Milford Sound, the falls provide electricity for the Milford Sound settlement by feeding a small hydroelectric scheme, and are also the water source for the settlement.
A track leading to the base of the falls was closed in 2003 due to rock falls and instability, but was partly re-opened in 2018 with the first section of the track now replaced by a short ride in a small boat from the Freshwater Basin Terminal in Milford.[2]