Mackenzie Basin
The Mackenzie Basin , also traditionally referred to as Mackenzie Country by the population , is a roughly elliptical-shaped basin surrounded by mountain ranges. It is located near the geographic center of New Zealand's South Island and is a typical representative of the New Zealand " High Country ". The basin extends over approx. 100 km in north-south direction and approx. 40 km in east-west direction. The southern Alps limit the basin in the west. Most of the Mackenzie Basin is in the Canterbury region and a small part of it is located south on the Waitaki River in Otago .
The main rivers that flow through the basin are the Waitaki , Ahuriri , Hakataramea, and Tekapo . The Ohau , Pukaki , Alexandrina and Tekapo lakes are located in the Mackenzie Basin, as are the Benmore and Ruataniwha lakes, which are artificially created to generate electricity .
Only sparsely populated with three larger towns ( Lake Tekapo , population under 500, Twizel , with a population of 1,100 and Omarama with under 400 inhabitants), the Mackenzie Basin encompasses extraordinarily admirable natural landscapes with large glacial lakes and snow-capped mountain peaks that are particularly high in the Favor of tourists and skiers.
The Mackenzie Basin is widely used as a location for film productions, including Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings , as well as a number of television productions, documentaries and commercials.
Web links
- History of the Mackenzie Country . Department of Conservation (DOC),accessed August 28, 2014.
Coordinates: 44 ° 3 ′ 36 ″ S , 170 ° 27 ′ 0 ″ E