Wairoa River

The Wairoa River runs south for 65 kilometres from the inland east coast region of New Zealand's North Island, west of Gisborne, before flowing into northern Hawke Bay at the town of Wairoa.The full Māori name of the river is: Te Wairoa Hōpūpū Hōnengenenge Mātangi Rau, which means the long, bubbling, swirling, uneven waters.It has a catchment area of 1,415sqmi which includes Lake Waikaremoana.The major tributaries are: the Hangaroa River the Ruakituri River the Mangapoike River the Mangaaruhe River the Waiau River the Waikaretaheke RiverThe 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.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 3ft. This flood flow is one of the largest recorded for any river in New Zealand.