Wills River

The Wills River is a river of the southern West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. It flows west to reach the Haast River 10 kilometres north of the Haast Pass.

Wills River
Route of the Wills River
Mouth of the Wills River Wills River (New Zealand)
Etymology	Named after William John Wills
Location
Country	New Zealand
Region	West Coast
District	Westland
Physical characteristics
Source
• coordinates	44.0009°N 169.59°E / 44.0009; 169.59
Mouth
• location	Haast River
• coordinates	44°02′43″S 169°23′13″E
Length	19 km (12 mi)
Basin features
Progression	Wills River → Haast River → Tasman Sea
Tributaries
• left	Kea Creek, Hold Creek, Cheap Creek, Sweet Nell Creek, Safe Creek, Lost Creek, Dark Creek, Connors Creek, Rabbit Creek, Lodore Creek, Cascade Creek, Fleming Creek, Brewster Creek, Torrance Creek, Brae Creek, Plover Creek
• right	Clumsy Creek, Swift Creek, Crook Creek, Shell Creek, Dredge Creek, Dun Creek, Dukes Creek, Lily Creek, Pansy Creek, Talent Creek, Shale Creek, Slip Creek

The river was named by Julius von Haast when he searched for a crossing from Otago to the West Coast. It is named for William John Wills of the Burke and Wills expedition. The nearby Burke River is named for Robert O'Hara Burke.

See also

• List of rivers of New Zealand

References

"Place name detail: Wills River". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 12 July 2009.