Dunstan Mountains
| Dunstan Mountains | |
|---|---|
The Dunstan Mountains as viewed from the Lowburn Sugarloaf | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Dunstan |
| Elevation | 1,667 m (5,469 ft) |
| Coordinates | 44°52′S 169°35′E / 44.867°S 169.583°E45°02′56″S 169°22′34″E / 45.049°S 169.376°E |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 51 km (32 mi) 45° |
| Width | 19 km (12 mi) 135° |
| Area | 826 km2 (319 sq mi) |
| Naming | |
| Native name | Mataki-nui, Neinei-i-kura, Tiko-umu (Māori) |
| English translation | Matakanui translates as big burn on the face |
| Geography | |
Otago, South Island, New Zealand | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Otago |
| Range coordinates | 44°52′16″S 169°35′24″E / 44.871°S 169.590°E |
| Parent range | Dunstan Mountains |
| Topo map | NZMS260 F41 Edition 1 1991 Limited Revision 1996 |
| Geology | |
| Orogeny | Kaikoura Orogeny |
| Rock age | 200 Ma |
| Mountain type | Fault-block mountain |
| Rock type | Schist |
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The Dunstan Mountains are a mountain range in Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. The mountains lie on the eastern shore of the man-made Lake Dunstan and overlook the towns of Cromwell to the west, Clyde to the south and Omakau to the east. The highest named peak on the mountain range, a rocky knoll simply called Dunstan, is 1,667 m (5,469 feet).
Together with the Cairnmuir Mountains to the south, the Dunstan Mountains form the Cromwell Gorge which was dammed to form New Zealand's third-largest hydroelectric dam, the Clyde Dam.
The Dunstan Mountains should not be confused with the Dunstan Range, a small mountain range which lies approximately 20 km (12 mi) north of the Dunstan Mountains near the Lindis Pass.