Arahura River facts for kids
The Arahura River is a special river on the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand. It flows for about 56 kilometers (35 miles) and empties into the Tasman Sea. You can find it about eight kilometers north of Hokitika, right next to the Arahura Pa.
A Special River for New Zealand
The Arahura River is very important to the Māori of New Zealand. This is because it is one of the few places where pounamu, also known as greenstone, can be found. Pounamu is a highly valued stone used for tools, weapons, and beautiful carvings.
History of Pounamu Rights
In 1860, the land around the Arahura River was sold to the British Crown by the chiefs of Poutini Ngāi Tahu. However, the Māori people believed they would keep their rights to collect pounamu from the river. This agreement was not fully honored in the official document, called the Arahura Deed.
For many years, Māori leaders worked to get these rights back. In the 1990s, the Ngāi Tahu tribe and the New Zealand government talked about this issue. Finally, in 1997, a law called the Ngai Tahu (Pounamu Vesting) Act was passed. This law gave the ownership of pounamu from the Arahura River back to the Ngāi Tahu people.
Gold and Bridges
A long time ago, the lower parts of the Arahura River were famous for gold. Many people came to mine for gold there. However, most of the gold has now been taken out.
In 2009, an old bridge that crossed the river was replaced. This bridge was 120 years old and was used by both cars and trains. Parts of the old bridge were used again in other places on the train tracks. One whole section of the bridge was saved for a local park to remember its history.
The Arahura River is also the subject of a song. In 2016, the musician Marlon Williams released a song with the same name as the river.
