The Bowen River is a river in northern

Fiordland Fiordland is a geographical region of New Zealand in the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the westernmost third of Southland. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps, deep lakes, ...

, 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 , the river plunges from the

hanging valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

over the

Lady Bowen Falls The Bowen Falls ( mi, Hineteawa), also known as Lady Bowen Falls, is a popular tourist attraction at Milford Sound, a fjord, fiord in New Zealand. The long Bowen River (New Zealand), Bowen River located in Fiordland National Park supplies the w ...

and drains into the head of

Milford Sound Milford Sound / Piopiotahi is a fiord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world's top t ...

. The falls are named for

Diamantina Bowen Diamantina, Lady Bowen (; 1832/1833–1893), was a noble from the formerly Venetian Ionian Islands who became the wife of Sir George Bowen, the first Governor of Queensland. Personal life The '' Contessa'' Diamantina di Roma was born in 183 ...

, wife of

George Bowen Sir George Ferguson Bowen (; 2 November 1821 – 21 February 1899), was an Irish author and colonial administrator whose appointments included postings to the Ionian Islands, Queensland, New Zealand, Victoria, Mauritius and Hong Kong.R. B. Joy ...

, 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 Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

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.

References

Rivers of Fiordland {{Fiordland-river-stub

See also

References