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Dobson River
Location
Country	New Zealand
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Southern Alps
Mouth
• location	Hopkins River
• elevation	535 m (1,755 ft)
Length	45 km (28 mi)

The Dobson River (Māori: Ōtaao) is a river in the South Island of New Zealand. It flows south between the Neumann and Ohau ranges for 45 kilometres (28 mi) from its source to the east of Mount Hopkins, in the Southern Alps, before joining with the Hopkins River, close to the latter's entry into the northern end of Lake Ōhau in the Mackenzie Country. The river flows over wide shingle beds, and has no rapids of interest to whitewater enthusiasts. It was named by Julius von Haast in the 1860s for his father-in-law, Edward Dobson, who was the Canterbury Provincial Engineer. The Māori name, also given as Otao in some works, means "driftwood," and has also been applied to the Hopkins River into which the Dobson/Ōtaao flows.

The New Zealand Department of Conservation maintains a tramping track and several backcountry huts in the river valley. Two of the huts are accessible by 4WD vehicle.

There is no direct geographical link with the West Coast town of Dobson.

References

1. "Lake Ōhau". Lakes 380. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
2. Peter Dowling, ed. (2004). Reed New Zealand Atlas. Reed Books. Map 79. ISBN 0-7900-0952-8.
3. Egarr, Graham (1995). New Zealand's South Island Rivers. p. 102. ISBN 0-473-02959-6.
4. Discover New Zealand:A Wises Guide (9th ed.). 1994. p. 374.
5. Karaitiana, Nick (September 1965). "History of a Great River". Te Ao Hou / The New World. Wellington: Māori Affairs Department. p. 50. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
6. Stevenson, G. B. (18 January 1947). "Maori and Pakeha in North Otago". A.H. & A.W. Reed – via Google Books.
7. "Mackenzie Basin tramping tracks". New Zealand Department of Conservation. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
8. "Places to stay in Ruataniwha Conservation Park". New Zealand Department of Conservation. Retrieved 20 August 2009.

44°05′S 169°52′E / 44.083°S 169.867°E / -44.083; 169.867

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• Rivers of the Canterbury Region
• Rivers of New Zealand
• Canterbury Region river stubs