Huxley River

The Huxley River (Māori: Tairau) is in the South Island of New Zealand.

The first Pākeha to explore the valley was Julius Von Haast.

[1] The Huxley valley previously had the Māori name Tairau (sometimes given as Tirau), meaning 'stake' or 'peg'.

[2][3] The northern branch of the valley contains Brodrick Pass, called in Māori Te Tarahaka, meaning ‘a thief who steals without qualms or care for the thoughts of others’.

[3] This pass was incredibly important for traversing the South Island, and was in heavy use in the old days,[3] due to the fact that it is an easy ascent from both the Lands borough side and the Huxley side.