Little Grey River
Encyclopedia
The Little Grey River, also known as the Māwheraiti is a river of the West Coast Region of New Zealand
. It is a major tributary of the Grey River / Māwheranui which it joins at Ikamatua
.
The Little Grey rises in low hills above the Inangahua valley, its source being only 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) from the Inangahua River
. It flows generally southwest, crossing the Maimai plain and the Ikamatua plain. Both State Highway 7
and the Stillwater–Ngakuwau Line railway travel down the lower half of the river valley, crossing the river twice. The river has two large tributaries, the Blackwater River and the Snowy River, both of which flow from the east. On the left bank for the lower 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) there are extensive tailings mounds resulting from gold dredging
operations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1946, both the highway and railway were temporarily closed while the dredge dug its way through to its new mining area in the Blackwater Valley.
This was the first and only time that such an event has occurred in New Zealand.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is a major tributary of the Grey River / Māwheranui which it joins at Ikamatua
Ikamatua
Ikamatua is a small village on the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand.It is located on the State Highway 7 inland route, 50 km north of Greymouth and 28 km south of Reefton...
.
The Little Grey rises in low hills above the Inangahua valley, its source being only 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) from the Inangahua River
Inangahua River
The Inangahua River is located in the northwest of New Zealand’s South Island. It is a major tributary of the Buller River, which it joins at the town of Inangahua Junction....
. It flows generally southwest, crossing the Maimai plain and the Ikamatua plain. Both State Highway 7
New Zealand State Highway 7
State Highway 7 is a major New Zealand State Highway. One of the eight national highways, it crosses the Southern Alps to link the West Coast Region with Canterbury and to form a link between the South Island's two longest highways, State Highway 1 and State Highway 6...
and the Stillwater–Ngakuwau Line railway travel down the lower half of the river valley, crossing the river twice. The river has two large tributaries, the Blackwater River and the Snowy River, both of which flow from the east. On the left bank for the lower 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) there are extensive tailings mounds resulting from gold dredging
Gold dredge
A gold dredge is a placer mining machine that extracts gold from sand, gravel, and dirt using water and mechanical methods.The original gold dredges were large, multi-story machines built in the first half of the 1900s....
operations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1946, both the highway and railway were temporarily closed while the dredge dug its way through to its new mining area in the Blackwater Valley.
This was the first and only time that such an event has occurred in New Zealand.