The Waihao River is a natural watercourse in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. [1] It flows into the Wainono Lagoon near Studholme.
The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives translations of "water of net fishing" or "water with eels" for Waihao. [2] Hao refers to the shortfin eel. [3]
Its headwaters are in the Hunter Hills, foothills of the Southern Alps, and its catchment area is 550 square kilometres (210 sq mi). The catchment receives approximately 1,000 millimetres (39 in) of rain annually. In its upper reaches, the river has two branches, the North Branch and South Branch, which join together at Waihao Forks. The river is well defined, but when it nears the coast, it becomes a braided river and has a floodplain of 25 square kilometres (9.7 sq mi). [4] When it reaches the coast, the river turns and flows northwards, being joined by the Waimate Creek before discharging into the Wainono Lagoon in Studholme, a locality to the east of the town of Waimate. However, a culvert known as the Waihao Box has been cut into the gravel berm that separates the river from the Pacific Ocean to provide permanent sea access. [5]
The river is crossed by two major roads. State Highway 1 crosses it near the coast between Willowbridge and Morven, while State Highway 82 crosses it inland at Waihao Forks. Near the State Highway 1 crossing, it is also crossed by the Main South Line railway, and inland, it was formerly crossed by the Waimate Gorge Branch. This branch line closed in 1953 and the bridges have been removed.
Agricultural activity occurs the length of the river and it is thus a source of irrigation. It is also used for recreational purposes. Fishers visit the river to fish for brown trout. [6] It is also followed by a walkway for approximately 5 kilometres (3 mi) near Waihao Forks.
The river has been prone to flooding, with eighteen major flooding events occurring in the 20th century. The only decades during which major floods did not occur were the 1910s and 1970s, and major floods occurred every year from 1950 to 1953. [7] Environment Canterbury and the local council have implemented strategies to reduce flooding, including the maintenance of stopbanks, managing the riparian zone to lower erosion, and restricting development to mitigate damage. [8]
In 2000, two special needs students aged 13 and 15 drowned while on a school trip to Black Hole, a swimming hole on the Waihao River. This event stimulated a re-assessment of school policies, and partly as a response to the incident, new safety guidelines were issued by the Ministry of Education. [9] In 2004, the mothers of the students sued the high school for breaching its duty of care to the students; the case was settled out of court in September 2007. [10]
The Waimakariri River is one of the largest rivers in Canterbury, on the eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island. It flows for 151 kilometres (94 mi) in a generally southeastward direction from the Southern Alps across the Canterbury Plains to the Pacific Ocean.
The Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River lies within the city boundaries of Christchurch, New Zealand, and is fed from springs near Templeton Road, with a catchment area in wet weather extending as far west as Yaldhurst and Pound Road. It meanders around the base of the Port Hills from west to south-east.
The Rangitata River is one of the braided rivers of the Canterbury Plains in southern New Zealand. It flows southeast for 120 kilometres (75 mi) from the Southern Alps, entering the Pacific Ocean 30 kilometres (19 mi) northeast of Timaru. The river has a catchment area of 1,773 square kilometres (685 sq mi), and a mean annual flow of 95 cubic metres per second (3,400 cu ft/s) at Klondyke.
The Waimate Branch was a branch line railway built in southern Canterbury, New Zealand to link the Main South Line with the town of Waimate, the centre of the surrounding rural area. It opened in 1877 and operated until 1966; for some of this time, it included an extension to Waihao Downs that was known as the Waimate Gorge Branch or Waihao Downs Branch. When the line closed, Waimate received the dubious distinction of being New Zealand's first major town to lose its railway line.
South Canterbury is the area of the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand bounded by the Rangitata River in the north and the Waitaki River to the south. The Pacific Ocean and ridge of the Southern Alps form natural boundaries to the east and west respectively. Though the exact boundaries of the region have never been formalised, the term is used for a variety of government agencies and other entities. It is one of four traditional sub-regions of Canterbury, along with Mid Canterbury, North Canterbury, and Christchurch city.
Studholme is a locality in southern Canterbury in New Zealand's South Island. It is named after Michael Studholme, a pioneer European settler who arrived in the area in 1854.
Wainono Lagoon is a shallow lagoon in the southern Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. A number of rivers flow into the lagoon, including the Hook River from the north and the Waihao River from the south. Nearby settlements include Hook and Studholme, with the town of Waimate approximately eight kilometres west.
Hook is a lightly populated locality in the southern Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated on coastal plains by the Pacific Ocean and Wainono Lagoon. Hook River flows through Hook into the Wainono Lagoon. The nearest town is Waimate, approximately 8 km to the southwest, and other nearby localities include Makikihi to the north, Waiariari to the west, and Studholme to the south.
Hook River is a natural watercourse in the southern Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. The river flows east from its source to the Wainono Lagoon, a fresh water lake beside the Pacific Ocean. On the way, it passes through the localities of Waiariari and Hook and is crossed by State Highway 1 and the Main South Line railway. Water from the river and an associated aquifer is used for agricultural purposes.
Waimate Creek is a natural watercourse in the southern Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. Its original Māori name was Te Waimatemate, which means "slowly moving waters".
Gladstone was a parliamentary electorate in the Canterbury region of New Zealand, from 1866 to 1890.
The Canterbury Bight is a large bight on the eastern side of New Zealand's South Island. The bight runs for approximately 135 kilometres (84 mi) from the southern end of Banks Peninsula to the settlement of Timaru and faces southeast, exposing it to high-energy storm waves originating in the Pacific Ocean. The bight is known for rough conditions as a result, with wave heights of over 2 metres (6.6 ft) common. Much of the bight's geography is shaped by this high-energy environment interacting with multiple large rivers which enter the Pacific in the bight, such as the Rakaia, Ashburton / Hakatere, and Rangitata Rivers. Sediment from these rivers, predominantly Greywacke, is deposited along the coast and extends up to 50 kilometres (31 mi) out to sea from the current shoreline. Multiple hapua, or river-mouth lagoons, can be found along the length of the bight where waves have deposited sufficient sediment to form a barrier across a river mouth, including most notably Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora and Washdyke Lagoon
John Studholme (1829–1903) was a 19th-century British pioneer of New Zealand, farmer and politician in the Canterbury region of New Zealand.
Waimate is a town in Canterbury, New Zealand and the seat of Waimate District. It is situated just inland from the eastern coast of the South Island. The town is reached via a short detour west when travelling on State Highway One, the main North/South road. Waimate is 45.7 km south of Timaru, Canterbury's second city, 20 km north of the Waitaki River, which forms the border between Canterbury and the Otago province to the south and 47.5 km north of Oamaru, the main town of the Waitaki District.
The South Canterbury District Health Board was a district health board with the focus on providing healthcare to the Timaru, Mackenzie, Waimate districts in New Zealand. In July 2022, it was merged into the national health service Te Whatu Ora.
Coopers Lagoon / Muriwai is a small coastal waituna-type lagoon in the Canterbury region of New Zealand, located approximately halfway between the mouth of the Rakaia River and the outlet of the much larger Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora. While the present-day lagoon is separated from the nearby Canterbury Bight by approximately 100 metres (330 ft), the water of the lagoon is considered brackish and early survey maps show that, until recently, the lagoon was connected to the ocean by a small channel. The lagoon, along with the surrounding wetlands, has historically been an important mahinga kai for local Māori.
Ashley Rakahuri Regional Park is a regional park in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island. It covers 417 hectares on the banks of Ashley River / Rakahuri and Okuku River, and is operated by Environment Canterbury. The park is used for fishing, walking, swimming, cycling and family picnics.
Waimakariri River Regional Park is a regional park in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island. It covers 15,000 hectares on the banks of the Waimakariri River, and is operated by Environment Canterbury.
Lake Tekapo Regional Park, is a regional park in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island. It covers 165 hectares at the eastern side of the southern end of Lake Tekapo, east of the Lake Tekapo township. It is the newest of the four Canterbury regional parks managed by Environment Canterbury.
A waituna is a freshwater coastal lagoon on a mixed sand and gravel (MSG) beach, formed where a braided river meets a coastline affected by longshore drift. This type of waterbody is neither a true lake, lagoon nor estuary.
