Otira | |
|---|---|
 Otira Stagecoach Hotel | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 42°49′52″S 171°33′39″E / 42.8311°S 171.5608°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | West Coast |
| District | Westland District |
| Ward | Northern |
| Electorates | |
| Government | |
| • Territorial authority | Westland District Council |
| • Regional council | West Coast Regional Council |
| • Mayor of Westland | Helen Lash |
| • West Coast-Tasman MP | Maureen Pugh |
| • Te Tai Tonga MP | Tākuta Ferris |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
| Postcode | 7875 |
| Area code | 03 |
| Local iwi | Ngāi Tahu |
Otira is a small township fifteen kilometres north of Arthur's Pass in the central South Island of New Zealand. It is on the northern approach to the pass, a saddle between the Ōtira and Bealey Rivers high in the Southern Alps. A possible meaning of Otira is "o" (place of) and "tira" (the travellers).[1] Another possible meaning is "Oti" (finished) and "ra" (Sun), because Otira Gorge is usually in deep shadow.[2]
- ^ Churchman, Geoffrey B (1991). On the Trans-Alpine Trail: A Travel Guide to State Highway 73 and the Midland Railway. Johnsonville, Wellington: IPL Books. ISBN 0-908876-73-4.
- ^ "Otira Gorge". Retrieved 27 December 2020.