Clutha River
General data
- Name: Clutha River
- Water system: Pacific Ocean
- Water type: River
- Progression: Pacific Ocean -> Planet Earth
- Climates: Temperate
- Continents: Australia & Oceania
- Countries: New Zealand
The Clutha River / Mata-Au is the second longest river in New Zealand and the longest in the South Island. It flows south-southeast 338 kilometres (210 mi) through Central and South Otago from Lake Wānaka in the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean, 75 kilometres (47 mi) south west of Dunedin. Gold is in abundance in the Clutha River and its surrounding areas. It is the highest volume river in New Zealand, and has a discharging mean flow of 614 cubic metres per second (21,700 cu ft/s).