What is Clutha River?
[[File:NZ-Clutha R.png|thumb|Location map of Clutha River, [[South Island]], [[New Zealand]].]] The '''Clutha River''' or the '''Mata-Au River''' is the second longest [[River Thames|river]] in [[New Zealand]] and the longest in the [[South Island]]. It flows over 338 kilometers from [[Lake]] Wānaka in the [[Southern Alps]] to the [[Pacific Ocean]], southwest of [[Dunedin]]. It has the highest [[volume]] and is the fastest [[river]] in [[New Zealand]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=1966|title=CLUTHA RIVER|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/clutha-river|access-date=25 December 2023|website=Encyclopaedia of New Zealand}}</ref> The [[river]] is known for its beautiful scenery, [[Gold rush|gold-rush]] history, and fast turquoise waters. There's an effort by a group called the [[Clutha Mata-Au River Parkway Group]] to create a regional river [[Park|parkway]] along the entire [[river]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2005-04-16|title=State of New Zealand's Environment 1997 - Chapter 7: Nature of NZ's water environment [Ministry for the Environment]|url=http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/ser/ser1997/html/chapter7.6.html|access-date=2023-12-25|website=web.archive.org|archive-date=2005-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050416222951/http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/ser/ser1997/html/chapter7.6.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Clutha River/Mata-Au {{!}} Flow & Gold Mining {{!}} Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Clutha-River-Mata-Au|access-date=2023-12-25|website=www.britannica.com|language=en}}</ref> The [[river]] starts at the head of the [[Makarora River]], near Haast Pass, flowing into the northern end of Lake Wānaka. The lake's southern end connects to the Clutha near Albert Town, where it meets its first main [[tributary]], the Hāwea River. Further downstream, it's fed by the [[Cardrona River]]. As the [[river]] travels through the Upper Clutha Valley, it encounters ancient [[Glacier|glacial]] terraces, including a section called the 'Snake.' Near Luggate, there's a unique feature called the