Dam, Dam, Dam

New Zealand relies heavily on this area for the generation of electricity. In the course of our travels we have visited 6 dams – one I have already written about down at Manapouri, but we have visited also the Clyde Dam, the Roxburgh Dam, the Aviemore Dam, the Benmore Dam and the Ohau A Dam.

The Clyde Dam was notable because it’s construction meant that the original township of Cromwell was flooded by the lake (Lake Dunstan) it created. Bits of the old township were removed and preserved in what is now known as the Old Precinct. This dam produces 464 megawatts of power which is enough to supply the electricity needs of 430,000 kiwi homes, and 20% of the country’s electricity.

Further down the river is the Roxburgh Dam, and generates another 392 megawatts. We only had a drive by of this dam.

We spent a bit more time though around the Aviemore Dam which is on the Waitaki River. 30% of New Zealand’s power is generated along this river, with the Aviemore Dam producing 220 megawatts. This dam is also notable because it has canals on the side so the trout and salmon can have a safe place to spawn. There is no fishing allowed here of course.

The canals have been built so they have fine gravel at the bottom, where the fish can wiggle their bums in and lay their eggs, and also a series of little concrete terraces so that this material cannot get easily washed downstream. Our visit to this dam was supervised by a handsome couple of merino rams and their ladies.

Further along is the Benmore Dam, which is different in that it is not made of concrete, but is an earthern dam. Not only that, it is the largest earthern dam in NZ, producing a further 540 megawatts of power for the country. It has a large lake that is apparently good for fishing, but better from a boat.

We spent a couple of days on the Ohau Canal, where Bruce was supposed to catch us a salmon. He certainly gave it a good shot, but we ended up buying our salmon from the salmon farm next door. Our time there was restful and relaxing, despite not catching any fish.

The fishing spots along the canal are popular because of the salmon farms there. It was so frustrating when we could see the splashes of the fish, see their large bodies jumping out of the water, and despite trying many different lures, as well as raw prawns, Bruce could not get one on the hook. Mind you, neither could anyone else it seemed.

These canals are formed from the network of three Ohau power stations (A,B,and C) along the Ohau River. This time we took a detour to visit the Ohau A dam, which is a concrete dam producing 264 megawatts of electricity. Although it is a smaller dam it is still stunning largely because of the alpine water it processes – the colour is out of this world, and it is full of nutrients that fish thrive on.

The only downside of camping alongside lakes and canals in autumn is the morning fog.

When the fog lifts though, the autumnal colours, along with the colour of the glacial waters, give some magnificent sights.