This virtual tour panoama shows a view over the Haast River valley towards Mount Macfarlane. It was taken the day a cyclone passed over New Zealand in the summer of 2008 which greatly swelled the river and waterfalls of Haast Pass.

Haast River - Haast visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Haast River' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from West Coast.

The 100 km long Haast River rises among the mountains of Mount Aspiring National Park on South Island in New Zealand and flows west towards the ccr1992,West Coast. The braided river enters the sea near to Haast and and is followed for most of the way by Highway 6, which links Wanaka and Otago with the West Coast.

The Haast River is fed by many streams and waterfalls in the Mount Aspiring National Park region and at the Haast Pass there are numerous viewpoints which have become popular tourist attractions. Among them are the Gate of Haast bridge, Thunder Creek Waterfall and Fantail Falls. These rapidly swell after rains forming a dramatic landscape among the steep slopes and then, equally rapidly, diminish in strength.

Below the Haast Pass, at the meeting point of the Mount Macfarlane and The Joker Mountain, the river enters a wide glacial valley where it is joined by waters from the Landsborough River and Clarke River. It then continues in a wersterly direction towards the ocean separating Mount Diomede and Mount Nerger from the mountains north of the valley.

Just before the ocean, the river is traverssed by Highway 6 via the Haast Bridge, the longest road bridge in New Zealand from which are great views back up the valley to the mountains and solitary Mosquito Hill which occupies the alluvial floodplain.

Near to the point where this picture is taken is the Pleasant Flat recreation ground which has a River Walk trail through the temperate rainforest.

Road: Haast Pass is about 60km from Haast on the West Coast, and 20km from Makarora (80km from Wanaka) in Otgo.