The Deception River is a river in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It is a tributary of 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 ...

's Ōtira River, flowing generally north for from its source on the slopes of Mount Franklin. It passes close to Goat Pass, which gives access to the

Mingha River The Mingha River is a river of the Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island. It flows east then south from its origin on the slopes of Mt Temple, meeting the Bealey River south of Arthur's Pass. Together with Goat Pass, elevation , and th ...

. Almost the entire length of the river is within the

Arthur's Pass National Park Arthur's Pass National Park is located in the South Island of New Zealand and covers 1,185 km2 of mostly mountainous terrain. Adjacent to it lies Craigieburn Forest Park. History Arthurs Pass National Park was established in 19 ...

. The river was once called "Goat Creek". It was surveyed about 1900 as a possible alternative route for the Midland Line, and the surveyor warned that the water levels could be deceiving. About three months later, a flood from the river into the Otira Valley caused several thousand dollars' worth of damage to the railway, and the river was given its current name. 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 ...

maintains a tramping track alongside the river, and it is part of the annual Coast to Coast race.

Backcountry hut A wilderness hut, bothy, backcountry hut, or backcountry shelter is a free, primitive mountain hut for temporary accommodation, usually located in wilderness areas, national parks and along backpacking (wilderness), backpacking and hiking route ...

s are available for trampers; one near Goat Pass and another a little further down the river.

References

Land Information New Zealand
- Search for Place Names Rivers of the West Coast, New Zealand Rivers of New Zealand Westland District Arthur's Pass National Park {{WestCoastNZ-river-stub

See also

References