The Tūtaekurī River starts near the Hope Pass, in the

Southern Alps The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The name "Southern ...

and flows north-west to join the

Ahaura River The Ahaura River is in the South Island of New Zealand. This river drains the western flanks of the Southern Alps and flows into the Grey River. The Ahaura and its many tributaries rise in the Lake Sumner State Forest park and enters the Gr ...

. The Ahaura joins the Grey River which flows to the

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea (Māori: ''Te Tai-o-Rēhua'', ) is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abe ...

Greymouth Greymouth () (Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coas ...

. Tūtaekurī River has been its official name since 21 June 2019. Tūtae kurī is a grass with the latin name agropyron multiflorum. The Tūtaekurī flows down a long, low valley and is predominantly a shingle bed river flowing through

beech forest Beech Forest is a town in Victoria, Australia. The area of Beech Forest is largely used for potato farming. History The town was named after the many myrtle beech trees of the area. Beech Forest Post Office opened on 10 May 1890 and closed in ...

with a margin of

tussock grass Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennial ...

along the banks. It can be kayaked, except during summer droughts. A pack-track ran to

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

via the Hope Pass and the Hope River. In 1875 it was the route recommended for what later became the

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It am ...

, on a route further southwest. It was still being considered in 1887. A route is still used over the pass, taking about 7 hours for the walk to Top Hope

Hut A hut is a small dwelling, which may be constructed of various local materials. Huts are a type of vernacular architecture because they are built of readily available materials such as wood, snow, ice, stone, grass, palm leaves, branches, hid ...

from Tutaekuri Hut. Tutaekuri Hut has 6 beds, is above sea level and was built in 2008 to replace a hut about 20 minutes downstream, at the Trent River confluence. A 4x4 track runs to the hut, but is often washed out at the river crossings. In the opposite direction, the Elizabeth Hut on the Haupiri River can be reached in about 9 hours, via the Trent Saddle, on the Elizabeth Hut Route. The valley is part of the West Coast Divide TB Management Area, where pigs, deer and possums are controlled to minimise the spread of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

References

Land Information New Zealand
- Search for Place Names Grey District Rivers of the West Coast, New Zealand Rivers of New Zealand {{WestCoastNZ-river-stub

See also

References