Little River (New Zealand) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little River |
|
|---|---|
| Country | New Zealand |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Mount Hutt |
| River mouth | Rakaia River 314 m (1,030 ft) |
| Length | 7 km (4.3 mi) |
The Little River is a small river in New Zealand. It is about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) long. You can find it on the Canterbury Plains of New Zealand's South Island. This river starts high up on Mount Hutt, which is a tall mountain. It then flows into the Rakaia River.
There is also another river called Little River. This one is on Stewart Island, which is south of the South Island. It is much shorter, only about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) long.
Near the Little River, there is a special place called Wairewa marae. A marae is a traditional meeting ground for the Ngāi Tahu people. It is a very important cultural spot. The Wairewa marae includes a meeting house called Te Mako wharenui.
Power Station
A power station called Cleardale is located near the Little River. MainPower built this station in 2010. It uses water from the river to make electricity.
The station takes up to 450 liters (119 gallons) of water per second. This water travels through a large pipe made of fiberglass. The pipe is 2.3 kilometers (1.4 miles) long. It also starts 300 meters (984 feet) higher than the power station.
The flowing water spins a special type of wheel called a pelton wheel. This wheel helps to create 1 megawatt of power. The electricity is then changed to a higher voltage. This allows it to be sent into the local electricity network.
After the water is used to make power, some of it helps to water 208 hectares (514 acres) of land. The rest of the water goes back into the river. The power station and its pipe have been carefully hidden. They are now hard to see in the landscape.
