Story: West Coast region

Arahura River

Arahura River

This aerial view of the Arahura River looks east from the rivermouth towards the Southern Alps. The settlement of Arahura is in the centre of the photo, on the northern side of the river. Pounamu (greenstone) was collected and traded here, at one of the oldest settlements on the West Coast.

Almost all the pounamu found on the West Coast occurs as boulders in the Arahura River.

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Juergen Schacke
Photograph by Juergen Schacke

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How to cite this page:

Simon Nathan, 'West Coast region - Māori exploration and settlement', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/21077/arahura-river (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Simon Nathan, updated 1 Sep 2016