The Mackenzie District is a local government area in the centre of the South Island. It was named after James Mackenzie a Scottish origin shepherd and renowned sheep thief.
Mackenzie country is packed with majestic landscapes that include tussock covered plains, some of the highest mountains in New Zealand, large braided rivers flowing in U-Shaped glacial valleys and turquoise blue lakes and rivers.
It consists of a substantial flat basin with an arid climate (The Mackenzie Basin) which is ringed by mountains; the Southern Alps, Ben Ohau Range, Two Thumb Range and the Grampians. The spectacular centerpiece of the area is Mount Cook the highest in New Zealand with its surrounding mountains like Mt. Sefton.
From the mountains drain glacial fed rivers that form big lakes including Pukaki, Tekapo, Benmore and Ohau. Major rivers are the Ahuriri, Cass, Dobson, Godley, Hopkins and Macaulay.
It is an area full of great scenery and is quite accessible being only a 3 to 4 hour drive from Christchurch, the South Island’s largest city.
