The Deception River is a river in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. It is a tributary of the West Coast

West Coast, New Zealand

The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...

's Otira River

Otira River

The Otira River is located in the central South Island of New Zealand. It rises on the slopes of Mount Rolleston in the Southern Alps, and flows north for 20 km, passing through the town of Otira before joining the Taramakau River...

, flowing generally north for 17 kilometres from its source on the slopes of Mount Franklin. It passes close to Goat Pass, which gives access to the Mingha River

Mingha River

The Mingha River is a river of the Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island. It flows east then south from its origin on the slopes of Mt Temple, meeting the Bealey River eight kilometres south of Arthur's Pass....

. Almost the entire length of the river is within the Arthur's Pass National Park

Arthur's Pass National Park

Arthur's Pass National Park is located in the South Island of New Zealand.It was established in 1929, becoming the first national park in the South Island and the third in New Zealand. It is bisected by State Highway 73. The road passes through Arthur's Pass village and the mountain pass with the...

.

The river was once called "Goat Creek". It was surveyed about 1900 as a possible alternative route for the Midland Line

Midland Line, New Zealand

The Midland line is a 212 km section of railway between Rolleston and Greymouth in the South Island of New Zealand. The line features five major bridges, five viaducts and 17 tunnels, the longest of which is the Otira tunnel.-Freight services:...

, and the surveyor warned that the water levels could be deceiving. About three months later, a flood from the river into the Otira Valley caused several thousand pounds worth of damage to the railway, and the river was given its current name.

The New Zealand Department of Conservation

New Zealand Department of Conservation

The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...

 maintains a tramping track

Tramping in New Zealand

Tramping, known elsewhere as hiking or bushwalking, is a popular activity in New Zealand.Tramping is defined as a recreational activity involving walking over rough country carrying all the required food and equipment...

 alongside the river, and it is part of the annual Coast to Coast

Coast to Coast (race)

The Speight's Coast to Coast is a non-standard multisport competition held annually in New Zealand. It is so named as it traverses from the West coast to the East coast of South Island, and features running, cycling and kayaking elements over a total of 243 km .-History:The first Coast to Coast...

 race. Backcountry hut

Backcountry hut

Backcountry huts are huts that serve overnight hiking and trekking needs and can be found in many places in the world.-New Zealand:New Zealand has a network of approximately 950 backcountry huts...

s are available for trampers; one near Goat Pass and another a little further down the river.