Pukaki River Canal Gates Canterbury South Island New Zealand
Photo & Vacation Spot

The Pukaki River/Canal in Canterbury on the South Island of New Zealand, appears with a white frothy surface when the control gates have been opened and the water flowing towards Lake Benmore rushes through.

As the control gates at the hydroelectric station in the Mackenzie Basin in Canterbury on the South Island of New Zealand are opened, the Pukaki River changes its appearance. The glacier colored water in the canal loses its blue coloring at the control gates, eventually settling down farther along the river.

There are 3 hydroelectric stations and control gates which the river passes through before reaching its final destination of Lake Benmore.

On either side of the Pukaki River, a road winds along the landscape, one which can become impassable if the canal overflows and floods the area. While visiting Canterbury on the South Island, these roads are beautiful to drive which overlook the beauty of the Pukaki River and the surrounding landscape.

Pukaki River (Canal) flowing towards Lake Benmore, Mackenzie Basin, Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand.