Arthur River (New Zealand) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arthur River |
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Arthur River in 2013
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Physical characteristics | |
| River mouth | Milford Sound 0 m (0 ft) |
The Arthur River is a cool river found in a beautiful part of New Zealand called Fiordland. It flows into a famous place called Milford Sound. If you ever walk the last part of the famous Milford Track, you'll be following this very river!
The river is about 20 km (12 mi) long. It flows through a lake called Lake Ada. Another river, Joes River, joins the Arthur River in Lake Ada.
Lake Ada was formed a long, long time ago, about 900 years ago. A huge landslide blocked the river, creating the lake.
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Animals of the Arthur River
The Arthur River is home to some special birds.
Pāteke (Brown Teal)
Pāteke are a type of small, shy duck. They used to live along the Arthur River. Sadly, they disappeared from the area in the mid-1990s. This happened because stoats arrived in the valley. Stoats are small, fierce predators that hunt native birds.
Protecting Native Birds
To help protect native birds, people started controlling stoats in 2003. This effort first focused on protecting another special bird called the whio (blue duck). Whio are rare river ducks. In 2005, the stoat control program was expanded to include the Joes River valley too.
Bringing Pāteke Back
Because of these efforts, it became safe to bring the pāteke back. In 2009, pāteke that had been raised in captivity were released into the Arthur River area. More pāteke were released in 2010 and 2011. This helps to bring these amazing birds back to their natural home.
More to Explore
Want to see what the Arthur River and Lake Ada looked like long ago? Check out these old photos:
- Lake Ada hut (1900)
- Track near the river (1900)
- River rapids (1905)
- Lake Ada (1905)
- Landing stage (1906)
- Submerged forest (1921)
