Waiapu River
| Waiapu River | |
|---|---|
Aerial view of the Waiapu River and Ruatoria in 1958 | |
Route of the Waiapu River | |
Mouth of the Waiapu River Waiapu River (North Island) | |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Island | North Island |
| District | Gisborne |
| Ward | Waiapu Ward |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Confluence of the Tapuaeroa River and Mata River |
| • location | Raukūmara Range |
| • coordinates | 37°53′17″S 178°16′52″E / 37.88813°S 178.28107°E |
| Mouth | Pacific Ocean |
• coordinates | 37°46′39″S 178°29′09″E / 37.7776°S 178.4857°E |
| Length | 130 km (81 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Waiapu River → Pacific Ocean |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Whakatū Stream, Mangakōpikopiko Stream, Mangaoparo River, Paoaruku Stream, Mangaiwi Stream, Mangarara Stream, Pukerimu Stream, Karata Stream, Makoao Stream, Poroporo River, Motumako Stream, Maraehara River |
| • right | Mangakinonui Stream, Mangahārei Stream, Kōpuaroa Stream, Mangaonui Stream, Mangatakawa Stream, Wairoa River, Mākirikiri Stream, Mangawhero Stream |
The Waiapu River is a river in the Gisborne District of the North Island of New Zealand, with a total length of approximately 130 kilometres (81 mi). Found in the north-east of the Waiapu Valley, it flows north-east from the joining of the Mata River and the Tapuaeroa River (both of which flow from the Raukumara Ranges), then passes by Ruatoria before reaching the Pacific Ocean at Rangitukia. Other tributaries of the Waiapu River include the Mangaoporo, Poroporo, Wairoa, Maraehara rivers, and the Paoaruku stream. It is the most well-known river in the region and lies within the rohe (territory) of Ngāti Porou, the largest iwi (extended kinship group or tribe) on the East Coast, and second largest in New Zealand. The area was the site of hostilities during the New Zealand Wars from June to October in 1865, both between Pākehā (New Zealand Europeans) and Māori, and between factions of Ngāti Porou.
The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "swallowing river" for Waiapu.