Cook River / Weheka Explained

Cook River / Weheka
Native Name:Maori: Weheka
Pushpin Map:New Zealand South Island#New Zealand
Pushpin Map Size:270px
Pushpin Map Caption:Mouth of Cook River / Weheka
Source1:La Perouse Glacier
Source1 Coordinates:-43.5758°N 170.0389°W
Source1 Elevation:890m (2,920feet)
Mouth:Tasman Sea
Mouth Location:2km (01miles) south of Gillespies Beach
Mouth Elevation:0m (00feet)
Mouth Coordinates:-43.4297°N 169.7892°W
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:New Zealand
Subdivision Type2:Region
Subdivision Name2:West Coast
Subdivision Type3:District
Subdivision Name3:Westland
Length:34km (21miles)
Progression:La Perouse Glacier → Cook River / WehekaTasman Sea
River System:Cook River / Weheka
Tributaries Left:Driblet Creek, Hermit Creek, Bullock Creek (upper section), Bullock Creek (lower section)
Tributaries Right:McBain Creek, Balfour River, Fox River, Clearwater River

The Cook River / Weheka is in the South Island of New Zealand. The headwaters are from the La Perouse Glacier on the western flanks of the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, and it flows west, then northeast, then northwest and into the Tasman Sea. Its tributaries include the Balfour River, fed by Balfour Glacier, and the Fox River, fed by Fox Glacier / Te Moeka o Tuawe. Much of the river lies within the Westland Tai Poutini National Park.[1] The river was renamed from Cook River to Cook River / Weheka as a result of the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998.

Brown trout can be fished for in the river.[2]

Access along the river by foot is difficult beyond the junction with the Balfour River. There are no approved helicopter landing sites in the river valley, but there are chamois, tahr and small numbers of red deer available to hunters.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Reed New Zealand Atlas. 2004. 0-7900-0952-8. Peter Dowling . Reed Books. Map 76. true.
  2. Web site: Cook River Trout Fishing (Weheka River). New Zealand Fly Fishing for Trout and Salmon. 7 September 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20081018111047/http://www.nzfishing.com/FishingWaters/West%20Coast/WCFishingWaters/WCCook.htm. 18 October 2008. dead.
  3. Web site: Fox Glacier to Karangarua. New Zealand Department of Conservation. 7 September 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20111114193418/http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/hunting/where-to-hunt/west-coast/south-westland-hunting/where-to-hunt/fox-glacier-to-karangarua. 14 November 2011. dead.