Deep Cove (New Zealand)

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Deep Cove, or Taipaririki in Māori, is a small inlet of Doubtful Sound on New Zealand’s South Island. It’s one of the most remote parts of the sound from the Tasman Sea, with its mouth about 32 kilometers from the main opening of Doubtful Sound. Elizabeth Island sits near where Deep Cove connects with Hall Arm. The cove is about 4 kilometers long and features several waterfalls, including Helena Falls and Lady Alice Falls.

Until the 1960s, Deep Cove could only be reached by sea or by walking Wilmot Pass. In 1964, it became part of the Manapouri Hydroelectric Project as the site of the tailrace tunnel to Lake Manapouri. A 10-kilometer tunnel connects the cove to the lake, completed in 1969, with the power station starting in 1970. A second tunnel began in 1997 and opened in 2002.

The influx of fresh water from the lake affects the local water layers, but the area already has heavy rainfall—about 7.6 meters per year. An old plan to ship water overseas did not go ahead. Deep Cove has become a natural place for ocean science studies on how river water and seawater mix and how internal waves move in the area.

Today, Deep Cove is the starting point for Doubtful Sound cruises. Tour boats leave from a small wharf in Wanganella Cove, within Deep Cove, after a boat trip across Lake Manapouri and a bus ride over Wilmot Pass. The wharf is also used to unload large components for the Manapouri Power Station.

Wildlife includes dolphins and various birds. Introduced animals include mice, rats and hare. The Deep Cove watershed is heavily forested with beech trees (Nothofagus) and a rich understory of shrubs and ferns.