Story: Swiss

Lauper Stream, Rakaia Valley

Lauper Stream, Rakaia Valley

One of the earliest associations between Swiss people and the New Zealand mountains came about when Jakob Lauper accompanied John Henry Whitcombe on the first crossing of Whitcombe Pass, between Canterbury and Westland, in 1863. On their journey, the pair followed a stream from the Rakaia River up to the Main Divide. The stream bears Lauper’s name, which until 2002 was misspelt as ‘Louper’.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Photograph by Jock Phillips

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How to cite this page:

Helen Baumer, 'Swiss - Swiss settlement', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/236/lauper-stream-rakaia-valley (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by Helen Baumer, published 8 Feb 2005, updated 1 Sep 2023 with assistance from Jordan Lahmar-Martins