Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Mataura River
river, New Zealand
Mataura River, river, South Island, New Zealand. It rises in the Eyre Mountains south of Wakatipu Lake and flows south past Gore and Mataura to enter the Pacific Ocean at Foveaux Strait, 20 miles (32 km) east of Bluff, after a course of 149 mi (240 km). Together with the Oreti and Aparima rivers, the Mataura has created the Murihiku (Southland) Plain and drains an area of 281 square miles (728 square km). The river derives its name from a Maori term meaning “reddish, glowing face,” referring to the red glow of the river surface when swamp water, coloured red by iron oxide, drains into it. The Mataura had a whaling station at its mouth in the 1830s.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.