Wairoa River (Hawke's Bay)

The Wairoa River of the Hawke's Bay region in New Zealand runs south for 65 kilometres from the inland east coast region of the North Island, west of Gisborne, before flowing into northern Hawke Bay at the town of Wairoa.

Wairoa River
Hawke's Bay's Wairoa River system
Location
CountryNew Zealand
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationTe Reinga Falls
Mouth 
 • location
Hawke Bay
Length65 km (40 mi)

The full Māori name of the river is Te Wairoa Hōpūpū Hōnengenenge Mātangi Rau, which means the long, bubbling, swirling, uneven waters.[1]

It has a catchment area of 1,415 square miles (3,660 km2),[2] which includes Lake Waikaremoana.

The major tributaries are:

The Hangaroa River and the Ruakituri River merge at Te Reinga Falls, near Te Reinga. This is where the Wairoa River begins.

Lake Waikaremoana is formed in the rockfall-dammed headwaters of the Waikaretaheke River. It has a confluence with the Waiau River 14 miles from the coast.[2]

In 1948 a big flood of the Wairoa River submerged the traffic bridge in Wairoa and flooded parts of the town to a depth of 3 feet (0.91 m). This flood flow is one of the largest recorded for any river in New Zealand.[2]

In 2010, the Wairoa Township River Walkway project commenced. The Walkway is a pedestrian and cycle path starting at the bridge on the south bank of the Wairoa River. It is planned that it will eventually completely encircle the town.[3]

Wairoa River Valley between Te Reinga and Frasertown

Footnotes
  1. Brochure Wairoa Township River Walkway - Historical Plaque Sites, retrieved 2010-03-13
  2. Grant-Taylor, T.L. - 'Wairoa River' in McLintock, A.H. (1966) – An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand – in Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
  3. Brochure Wairoa Township River Walkway – A Walkway for the whole community, retrieved 2010-03-13

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