The Fox River (originally the Potikohua River) is a river in the

Buller District Buller District is one of 53 districts of New Zealand, and is within the West Coast Region. It covers Westport, Karamea, Reefton and Inangahua Junction. Buller District's overall land area is . The district is administered by the Buller Dis ...

of New Zealand. It arises in the

Paparoa Range The Paparoa Range is a mountain range in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. It was the first New Zealand land seen by a European – Abel Tasman in 1642. Part of the range has the country's highest protection as a national par ...

near Mount Dewar and flows north-west through the

Paparoa National Park Paparoa National Park is on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The park was established in 1987 and encompasses . The park ranges from or near the coastline to the peaks of the Paparoa Range. A separate section of the park lie ...

to the

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea 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 Abel Janszoon Tasman, who in 1642 wa ...

at Woodpecker Bay. The river passes through a spectacular gorge. The northern branch of the river has

limestone cave A solutional cave, solution cave, or karst cave is a cave usually formed in a soluble rock like limestone (Calcium carbonate, with chemical formula ''CaCO3''). It is the most frequently occurring type of cave. It can also form in other rocks, inc ...

s containing

stalactite A stalactite (, ; , ) is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble and that can be deposited as a colloid, or is in suspension (chemistry ...

and

stalagmite A stalagmite (, ; ; ) is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically composed of calcium carbonate, but may consist ...

formations.

Toponymy

The river was named after Bill Fox, a gold prospector. The

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

name Potikohua, comes from poti, a cooking basket, and kohua, steaming oven.

Description

The Fox River has its origins high in the Paparoa Range, and flows in a north-west direction through the limestone syncline. The river passes through deep limestone canyons on its way to the coast. One of the main tributaries is Dilemma Creek. The river valley is characterised by limestone escarpments, with steep sloping faces beneath. The forest type on these slopes is variable in height and composition. Common species include the nīkau palm (''

Rhopalostylis sapida ''Rhopalostylis sapida'', commonly known as nīkau, is a palm tree endemic to New Zealand, and the only palm native to mainland New Zealand. Etymology is a word borrowed from the Māori language; cognates of this word in the closely related E ...

''), and tree ferns (especially mamaku (''

Sphaeropteris medullaris ''Sphaeropteris medullaris'', synonym ''Cyathea medullaris'', commonly known as mamaku or black tree fern, is a large tree fern up to tall. It is distributed across the south-west Pacific from Fiji to Pitcairn Island and is a common plant foun ...

''), pigeonwood (''

Hedycarya arborea ''Hedycarya'' is a genus of about 16 species of flowering plants in the family Monimiaceae native to eastern Australia, New Zealand, and some Pacific Islands. Plants in the genus ''Hedycarya'' are shrubs, or small to medium trees with sometimes t ...

''), māhoe (''

Melicytus ramiflorus ''Melicytus ramiflorus'', commonly known as māhoe, is a small tree of the family Violaceae. It is endemic (ecology), endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to 10 metres high with a trunk up to 60 cm in diameter, it has smooth, light bark a ...

''), kāmahi (''

Weinmannia racemosa ''Pterophylla racemosa'', commonly known as the kāmahi, is an evergreen tree endemic to New Zealand. It is a member of the Cunoniaceae family of plants, and it is often referred to by its former botanical name ''Weinmannia racemosa.'' Most me ...

''), and hīnau (''

Elaeocarpus dentatus ''Elaeocarpus dentatus'', commonly known as hinau (), is a native lowland forest tree of New Zealand. Other names in Māori for the tree are , , and . A member of the family Elaeocarpaceae, it is found on both the North and South Islands of Ne ...

''), but nīkau and mamaku are often the most common. Above the steep slopes there are some large northern rātā (''

Metrosideros robusta ''Metrosideros robusta'', commonly known as the northern rātā, is a forest tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to or taller, and usually begins its life as a hemiepiphyte high in the branches of a mature forest tree; over centuries th ...

'') and rimu (''

Dacrydium cupressinum ''Dacrydium cupressinum'', commonly known as rimu, is a species of tree in the family Podocarpaceae. It is a dioecious evergreen conifer, reaching heights of up to , and can have a stout trunk up to in diameter. It is endemic to New Zealand ...

''), with occasional miro (''

Prumnopitys ferruginea ''Pectinopitys ferruginea'', commonly known as miro or toromiro, is an evergreen coniferous tree which is endemic to New Zealand. Description It grows up to high, with a trunk up to 1.3 m diameter. The leaves are linear to sickle-shaped, 15� ...

''). Rimu and miro are mainly present on the more gentle slopes, while northern rātā is the only emergent tree on the steeper slopes below escarpments.

Tracks

Inland Pack Track

The full length of the trail goes between the Punakaiki River in the south, and the mouth of the Fox River in the north. It takes two or three days to complete the track.

Ballroom Overhang

The Ballroom Overhang is a large limestone outcrop on the Fox River that provides a sheltered place for resting or overnight camping. The overhang is at its highest point, long, and at its widest point. In suitable conditions, the hike to the Ballroom Overhang and back can be made as a return day trip from State Highway 6. The Ballroom Overhang can be reached from the Inland Pack Track, and is approximately upstream from the junction of Fox River and Dilemma Creek. This part of the route requires several river crossings and has been classified by the

Department of Conservation Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

as an advanced tramping track.

Fox River caves

The Fox River caves, situated up from the Fox River carpark, were an early tourist attraction in the area. The caves were receiving visitors in guided tours from around 1900. The caves have been well known for their

formations. Following the

2016 Kaikōura earthquake The 2016 Kaikōura earthquake was a 7.8 earthquake in the South Island of New Zealand that occurred two minutes after midnight on 14 November 2016 Time in New Zealand, NZDT (11:02 on 13 November UTC). earthquake rupture, Ruptures occurred on ...

, the Department of Conservation closed the Fox River caves because of the discovery of a large rockfall over the cave entrance.

References

External links

* {{Buller District Buller District Rivers of the West Coast Region Paparoa National Park