Geography
The basin extends approximately 100 kilometers (62 mi) north to south, and 40 kilometers (25 mi) east to west. The Southern Alps constitute its western edge. The majority of the Mackenzie Basin is within Canterbury, although the area to the south of the Waitaki River is in Otago.
Using State Highway 8, it can be accessed via Burkes Pass (elevation 709m / 2,326 ft) from the north and the Lindis Pass (elevation 965m / 3,166 ft) from the south, or via State Highway 83 through the Waitaki Valley from the east. Aside from these passes, the terrain is generally highest at the northern end and gradually descends in a southward direction.
Prominent rivers crossing the Mackenzie Basin include the Waitaki, the Ahuriri, the Hakataramea and the Tekapo Rivers. Lakes Ohau, Pukaki, Alexandrina and Tekapo lie within the Mackenzie Basin, as do the artificial hydroelectric lakes of Ruataniwha, Benmore and Aviemore.
Read more about this topic: Mackenzie Basin
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