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Prominent rivers to cross 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 BenmoreLake Benmore is a lake located in the South Island of New Zealand. The major rivers with which it is fed are the Ohau, Pukaki and the Tekapo Rivers. The lake has New Zealand's largest earth dam as part of the Waitaki hydroelectricity power scheme. The lak, RuataniwhaLake Ruataniwha is located in the Mackenzie Basin in New Zealand's South Island. An artificial lake, it was formed as part of the Waitaki hydroelectric project. The western arm of Lake Benmore, it is the site of one of New Zealand's main rowing venues., and AviemoreLake Aviemore is part of the Waitaki hydroelectric project in New Zealand's South Island. It lies between lakes Benmore and Waitaki on the Waitaki River. It is part of the traditional boundary of the Canterbury and Otago regions. Aviemore, Lake Aviemore,.
Sparsely populated, and with only three settlements ( Lake TekapoLake Tekapo is a small town located at the southern end of the lake of the same name in the inland South Island of New Zealand. The lake is a popular tourist destination, and several resort hotels are located at the township. An astronomical observatory i, population <500; TwizelTwizel is a town in the Mackenzie Basin of the South Island of New Zealand. Its residential population is 1,000 but in summer the population more than trebles. History Twizel was built in 1968 to service the Upper Waitaki hydroelectricity Scheme and was i, population <1,100; OmaramaOmarama is a small village (population <400) at the junction of State Highways 8 and 83, near the southern end of the Mackenzie Basin, in the South Island of New Zealand. Omarama is part of the Waitaki District, and at the northern edge of the Otago Provi, population <400), the Mackenzie Country comprises an extraordinarily beautiful area of huge glacial lakes and magnificent snow-capped mountains, particularly favored by tourists and skiers. The Ohau skifieldOhau is a small club skifield in the foothills of New Zealand's Southern Alps, near the boundary between the Otago and Canterbury regions, and close to the southwestern shore of the lake of the same name. Details In 2004, a new two seater chairlift was in, near Omarama and Roundhill Ski Area, at Lake Tekapo are small club skifields popular amongst many living in Canterbury and Otago.
The Mackenzie Country is increasingly being put to use as the principal location for many motion pictures, including much of Peter JacksonPeter Jackson CNZM (born October 31, 1961), is a film writer, director and producer born in Pukerua Bay, New Zealand to Bill and Joan Jackson. He first gained attention with his "splatstick" horror comedies, and came to prominence with his movie Heavenly's epic Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, as well as numerous television shows, documentaries and commercials.
Due to its clean, dry and dark sky, the Mackenzie Basin serves as an important area for astronomy, with a number of related facilities located there, including the University of Canterbury's Mount John University Observatory, and the amateur Benmore Peak Observatory. Plans are currently underway to have the entire area designated the world's first International Dark Sky Reserve. The Mackenzie Basin is also a renowned and world-class gliding area.