Shotover River
| Shotover River Kimiākau | |
|---|---|
 Jet boating the Shotover River canyons | |
| Etymology | AfterShotover Parkin Oxfordshire. |
| Native name | Kimiākau(Māori) |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | |
• location | Kawarau River |
• elevation | 290 m (950 ft) |
| Length | 75 km (47 mi) |
TheShotover River(Māori:Kimiākau) is located in theOtagoregion of theSouth Islandof New Zealand.[1]The name correctly suggests that this 75-kilometre (47 mi) long river is fast flowing, with numerous rapids. The river flows generally south from theSouthern Alpson its journey running through the Skippers Canyon, draining the area between the Richardson Mountains and the Harris Mountains, before flowing into theKawarau Rivereast ofQueenstown.
TheEdith Cavell bridgecrosses the river at Arthurs Point.
Tourist operations
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Gold miningfeatured in its early history and it was one of the richest gold-bearing rivers in the world. Beginning in 1862 when gold was first discovered on the river at Arthurs Point, the river has been panned, cradled, sluiced and dredged. Today small-time gold seekers still work the river and two of its tributaries, Moke and Moonlight Creeks, for gold.[2]It is now a popular river fortourism.
The river is used forcommercialwhite waterraftingtrips andjet boatingrides which operate out of the nearby tourist resort of Queenstown. There is also a canyon swing site on the river a short distance upriver from Arthurs Point. Three jet boat operators have rights to use the river, as do two rafting companies. Much of the land that surrounds the Shotover River, upstream from Arthurs Point, is now foreign-owned by Robert Lange, the former husband of singer Shania Twain.
Naming
[edit]The river was named Shotover by the first European,William Gilbert Reesto settle on the shores of Lake Wakatipu in 1860. He named it after his business partner, George Gammie's English estate,Shotover Park.The river had been previously calledTummelby two Scottish pioneers named Donald Angus Cameron and Angus Alphonse Macdonald who had passed through the area before Rees arrived. It was also referred to as theOvershotby the early goldminers, but it was the nameShotoverthat stuck,[3][better source needed][4] TheMāoriname for the river is Kimi-ākau which meanslooking for the coastwhich is probably a reference to the area as a route to theWest Coastin search ofPounamu.[5]
Old lower Shotover bridge
[edit]
The old lower Shotover bridge was built in 1915 and replaced the previous bridge. It, in turn was replaced in 1975 by a new bridge and was used after then as a support for a pipeline. In 2004, the bridge was restored and now forms part of theQueenstown trail.[6]The bridge is 172.5 metres long and built with tall concrete piers.[7]
Oxenbridge tunnel
[edit]TheOxenbridge TunnelatArthurs Pointis a 170-metre (560 ft) tunnel that was part of a failed mining scheme by the Oxenbridge brothers, attempting to divert water from the river to recover gold from the riverbed. It was registered as a Category II Historic Place in 1985,[8]and is used by rafters and kayakers. There is aDepartment of Conservationtrack called theOxenbridge Tunnel Trackthat goes from theEdith Cavell Bridgealongside the Shotover River to a place near the Oxenbridge Tunnel.
Freezing
[edit]In July 1991 and June 1992 the river froze from bank-to-bank, nearSkippers Canyon,and car-tyre sized blocks of ice disrupted tourist activities in July 2007.[9]
Also in 2012 large parts of the river froze after a series of cold days which also affected commercial operators.[10]
References
[edit]- ^"Place name detail: Shotover River".New Zealand Gazetteer.New Zealand Geographic Board.Retrieved2009-02-02.
- ^Walrond, Carl."Gold and gold mining - Shotover River".Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand.Retrieved2009-02-02.
- ^Gerald Garrick Cunningham- published Otago historian
- ^"Shotover in New Zealand".home.clara.net.30 September 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 10 October 2012.Retrieved23 April2011.
- ^"Skippers"(PDF).Department of Conservation.Retrieved9 March2013.
- ^"Old Lower Shotover Bridge".Queenstown Trail.Retrieved2021-10-22.[dead link]
- ^"Lower Shotover Bridge | Engineering New Zealand".www.engineeringnz.org.Retrieved2021-10-22.
- ^"Mining Tunnel".New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero.Heritage New Zealand.Retrieved2009-04-22.
- ^Wolfe, Felicity (2 February 2009)."Shotover River may freeze, says forecaster".Otago Daily Times.Retrieved2009-02-01.
- ^Leanne, Malcolm."Cold snap freezes Queenstown tourism".Business.© 2013 MediaWorks TV.Retrieved9 March2013.
External links
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