Mackenzie Basin

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For the basin of the Canadian river, see Mackenzie River.
The Mackenzie Country's typical autumn colouration.
The Mackenzie Country's typical autumn colouration.

The Mackenzie Basin (popularly and traditionally known as the Mackenzie Country), is an elliptical intermontane basin, located in the Mackenzie and Waitaki Districts, near the centre of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest such basin in New Zealand.[1] Historically famous mainly for sheep farming, the sparsely populated area is now also a popular tourism destination.

The basin was named in the 1850s by and after James Mckenzie, a shepherd and sheep thief of Scottish origin, who herded his stolen flocks in what was then an area almost totally empty of any human habitation, though Māori previously lived there intermittently.[2] After his capture, the area was soon divided up amongst new sheep pasture stations.[3]

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[edit] Geography

The Southern Alps form the northern and western boundaries of the basin.
The Southern Alps form the northern and western boundaries of the basin.
The Ben Ohau Range from the eastern shore of Tekapo B hydrogenerator station headgate pond.
The Ben Ohau Range from the eastern shore of Tekapo B hydrogenerator station headgate pond.

The basin extends approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) north to south, and 40 kilometers (25 miles) east to west. The Southern Alps constitute its western edge. The majority of the Mackenzie Basin is within Canterbury, although the area to the south of the Waitaki River is in Otago.

Using State Highway 8, it can be accessed via Burkes Pass (elevation 709m / 2,326ft) from the north and the Lindis Pass (elevation 965m / 3,166ft) from the south, or via S.H.83 through the Waitaki Valley from the east. Aside from these passes, the terrain is generally highest at the northern end and gradually descends in a southward direction.

Prominent rivers crossing the Mackenzie Basin include the Waitaki, the Ahuriri, the Hakataramea and the Tekapo Rivers. Lakes Ohau, Pukaki, Alexandrina and Tekapo lie within the Mackenzie Basin, as do the artificial hydroelectric lakes of Ruataniwha, Benmore and Aviemore.

[edit] Settlement & activities

Sparsely populated, and with only four settlements (Lake Tekapo, population <500; Mount Cook Village, population <150; Twizel, population <1,000; Omarama, population <400), the Mackenzie Country comprises an extraordinarily beautiful area of huge glacial lakes and magnificent snow-capped mountains, particularly favoured by tourists and skiers. The Ohau skifield near Omarama and Roundhill Ski Area at Lake Tekapo are small skifields popular amongst many living in Canterbury and Otago. However, the skifields of the area are both more spartan and less crowded than those in the Queenstown area.[4]

The Mackenzie Country is increasingly being put to use as the principal location for many motion pictures, including much of Peter Jackson's epic Lord of the Rings film trilogy, as well as numerous television shows, documentaries and commercials.

Gliding is another prominent activity within the Mackenzie Basin, hosting a Gliding World Cup event, as well as being the location of several clubs, airfields, and numerous private glider pilots, of both amateur and professional status.

Due to its clean, dry and dark sky, the Mackenzie Basin serves as an important area for astronomy, with a number of related facilities located there, including New Zealand's premier astronomical observatory, the University of Canterbury's Mount John University Observatory and several prominent amateur observatories. Plans are currently well progressed to have the Mackenzie Basin designated as a Dark Sky Reserve,[citation needed] resulting in strictly-enforced ordinances to prevent light pollution.

Astronomy-related tourism has become an important and growing part of the area's economy, with more astro-tourism ventures in development near Lake Ohau, Mount Cook village (planetarium) and Omarama.[5]

[edit] References

Mount Cook from the southern shore of Lake Pukaki.
Mount Cook from the southern shore of Lake Pukaki.
  1. ^ Mackenzie Basin routes (from the DOC website. Retrieved 2007-12-06.)
  2. ^ History of the Lake Tekapo Area (from the Lake Tekapo Tourism website. Accessed 2008-02-12.)
  3. ^ Twizel (from the New Zealand's Information Network website)
  4. ^ Delightful despite weather gods - New Zealand Herald, Travel: NZ Special Issue, Tuesday 06 November 2007, Page D6
  5. ^ Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre Planetarium (from the Hermitage Hotel's website. Retrieved 2007-11-06.)

[edit] External links

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