The Arawhata River (often spelt with the Ngāi Tahu Māori dialect spelling ''Arawata River'') is in the

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

region of the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

of New Zealand. The river has its headwaters in the

Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Aspiring National Park is in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand, north of Fiordland National Park, situated in Otago and Westland regions. The park forms part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. Geography Establis ...

. It drains the western side of the Southern Alps and heads in a northerly direction for , flowing into

Jackson Bay Jackson Bay / Okahu is a gently curving 24 km bay on the southern West Coast of New Zealand's South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the ...

. A small lake, Lake Ellery, drains into the river near its mouth, via a short tributary, the Jackson River. Access is possible up the river by jetboat. Access to the glaciers, forests and flats of the upper reaches of the valley is restricted by Ten Hour Gorge. Glacial silt in the river imparts an opaque green to greyish coloration to the water. The lower valley is grazed by cattle by the local farmers under a grazing licence. The majority of the land in the area is publicly owned and administered by the

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

. Owing to the high rainfall on the western side of the Southern Alps, the river level can rapidly rise.

Reference

Westland District Rivers of the West Coast, New Zealand Rivers of New Zealand {{WestCoastNZ-river-stub