The ÅŒwaka River, until 2019 officially the Owaka River, flows southeastward through
The Catlins
The Catlins (sometimes referred to as The Catlins Coast) comprise an area in the southeastern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The area lies between Balclutha, New Zealand, Balclutha and Invercargill, straddling the boundary between ...
, an area of the southern
South Island
The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
of New Zealand.
Its total length is , and it shares the estuary of the
Catlins River, flowing into the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
at
Pounawea, south of
Balclutha. Its source is on the slopes of
Mount Rosebery, south of
Clinton. The ÅŒwaka River is located within the
Clutha District
Clutha District is a local government district of southern New Zealand, with its headquarters in the Otago town of Balclutha. Clutha District has a land area of and an estimated population of as of . Clutha District occupies the majority of th ...
.
The small town of
Owaka
Owaka is a small town in the Clutha District of South Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest community in the rugged, forested The Catlins, Catlins area, close to the border with Southland Region, Southland, some south o ...
is situated about one kilometre from the south bank of the river. The locality of
Tahora was located at the ÅŒwaka River where the road and railway crossed the river; there is little trace of that settlement visible today.
References
Rivers of Otago
The Catlins
Rivers of New Zealand
Clutha District
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