Routeburn River

The Routeburn River, also known as the Route Burn, is a river in New Zealand. It is a short stony river that flows for some 15 kilometres^[1] into the Dart River / Te Awa Whakatipu^[2] in the South Island. The Routeburn River flows alongside a section of the Routeburn Track. The upper reaches of the river are found in the Routeburn North Branch and leave the Routeburn Track around the Routeburn Flat Hut area.

Routeburn River Route Burn
The Route Burn River winds around the Humboldt Range
Route of the Route Burn
Mouth of the Route Burn Show map of South Island Routeburn River (New Zealand) Show map of New Zealand
Native name	Te Komama (Māori)
Location
Country	New Zealand
Region	Otago
District	Queenstown-Lakes
Physical characteristics
Source	Route Burn Left Branch
• location	Lake Wilson
• coordinates	44.72946°S 168.17853°E / -44.72946; 168.17853
• elevation	1,434 m (4,705 ft)
2nd source	Route Burn North Branch
• coordinates	44.6584°S 168.1985°E / -44.6584; 168.1985
Mouth
• location	Dart River / Te Awa Whakatipu
• coordinates	44°44′04″S 168°19′30″E
Basin features
Progression	Route Burn → Dart River / Te Awa Whakatipu → Lake Wakatipu → Kawarau River → Lake Dunstan → Clutha River / Mata-Au → Pacific Ocean
Tributaries
• left	Sugar Loaf Stream
• right	Double Barrel Creek
Waterfalls	Routeburn Falls

The river has two main branches of similar length, which meet some 8 kilometres from the Dart. Both of these streams have sources in the Humboldt Range. One of these streams flows due south from the slopes of the 1960-metre Nereus Peak; the other flows south then east from Lake Wilson, a small tarn, passing through Lake Harris and over the Routeburn Falls. Several smaller streams join the river from the south closer to its entry into the Dart River.^[1]

Gallery

• 
  Forge Flat on the lower Route Burn
• 
  The Route Burn seen near Routeburn Shelter
• 
  Swing bridge over the Sugar Loaf Stream, a tributary of the Route Burn
• 
  The lower Route Burn

See also

• List of rivers of New Zealand

References

1. Reed New Zealand Atlas, map 89
2. "Routeburn River". nzfishing.com. Retrieved 6 April 2016.