Rivers
The Kawarau, Shotover, Dart and Rees: where the gold came from, where the jet boats and rafts run, and what the water does after rain.
Four rivers matter around Queenstown. Two of them are the reason the town exists, and all four are the reason the adventure industry does.
The rivers
- Kawarau River — the outlet of Lake Wakatipu, running east through the gorge past the vineyards. The Kawarau Bridge here is where commercial bungy started.
- Shotover River — the gold river, and the one most jet boats, rafts and swings operate on. Comes down through Skippers Canyon into the Kawarau.
- Dart River — Te Awa Whakatipu, braided and glacier-fed, running into the head of the lake at Glenorchy. An old pounamu trail and an Isengard filming location.
- Rees River — the other Glenorchy valley, quieter, with no operators on it and a serious tramping track up it.
The gold
Gold was found in the Shotover at Arthurs Point in November 1862 and in the Kawarau not long after, and within a few years there were thousands of men working both. Nearly everything visitors find interesting about the district's history — Arrowtown, Skippers, the tailings and water races you walk past on the trails — comes back to those two rivers.
What the water does
There are no dams on these rivers. Levels answer to rainfall and snowmelt, which means they can rise hard and dirty within hours and clear again in a day or two. If you have booked something that depends on the river — rafting, jet boating, fishing — expect the operator to make the call on the day, and expect them to be right.
Glacier-fed water is cold enough to affect you quickly, the beds move, and the braided sections change shape after every flood. Cross on a bridge.
On the water
See things to do on the water for jet boating, rafting, kayaking and fishing guides, and bungy jumping for the Kawarau Bridge.
Kawarau River
The river that drains Lake Wakatipu and runs east through the Kawarau Gorge to Cromwell. Where commercial bungy started, and where the rafting runs.
Shotover River
The river the 1862 gold rush was built on, and the one most Queenstown adventure operators still run on. Where to see it, who works it, and what the water does after rain.
Dart River
Te Awa Whakatipu, the braided glacier-fed river above Glenorchy. An old pounamu route, an Isengard filming location, and the one river up here with a jet boat concession.
Rees River
The braided valley running down to Glenorchy from the Richardson and Forbes mountains. The quieter of the two big valleys above the lake, and the start of the Rees Track.
More in Places
See all
Towns
Arrowtown, Glenorchy, Gibbston, Wanaka, Kingston, Arthurs Point and Frankton — what each one is for, and how long it takes to get there.
Lakes
Lake Wakatipu and the smaller lakes around it — Moke, Hayes, Dispute, Johnson, Diamond. Where to walk, camp, fish and swim, and which ones are worth the gravel road.
Parks
Queenstown Gardens, Earnslaw Park and the reserves around the bay — the free, flat, unbooked part of a Queenstown visit.