Rivers in New Zealand are famous for their natural beauty. Here are the ten longest rivers in NZ that you should know. New Zealand’s rivers offer summer dips, riverbank strolls, and serene isolation.
1. Top 10 Longest Rivers in NZ
Waikato: The longest river in NZ
With a length of 425 kilometers, the Waikato River is New Zealand’s longest river. It starts in Lake Taupo, and Port Waikato is where it empties into the ocean. The Waikato is vital to the local Maori community spiritually and has a drainage basin of around 5,290 square miles. The river is home to 19 native fish species and 10 introduced species, including brown and rainbow trout.
Clutha: The second-longest river in NZ
With a length of 322 kilometers, the Clutha River is the second-longest river in the nation. The river, also famous as the Mata-Au, rises at Lake Wanaka and empties into the Pacific Ocean.
The Clutha River has a mean flow of roughly 21,700 cubic feet per second and a basin area of about 8,480 square miles. The highest volume in the nation is this mean flow. The fast rivers and stunning scenery of the Clutha are well-known.
Whanganui: The third-longest river in NZ
With 290 kilometers, the Whanganui River is the third-longest river in New Zealand. The river rises in Mount Tongariro on the North Island and empties into the Tasman Sea. The Whanganui River shares spiritual importance with the Waikato River with the Maori people.
The river received legal identity in 2017, which confers upon it the obligations, rights, and liabilities of a legal person. This was the second time a natural resource received a legal identity on a global scale (after Te Urewera, also in New Zealand).
Taieri: The fourth-longest river in NZ
With a length of 288 kilometers, the Taieri River is the fourth-longest river in NZ. The river originates in the Lammerlaw hills and flows slowly to the Pacific Ocean at its mouth in the South Island’s Otago region.
Taieri river is utilized to irrigate floodplains and produce hydroelectric power throughout its course. The river is navigable for about 20 kilometers after that.
Rangitikei: The fifth-longest river in NZ
With a length of 241 kilometers, the Rangitikei River ranks fifth among New Zealand’s rivers in terms of length. The Kaimanawa Ranges is where it originates. The river is used for various leisure pursuits, including fishing and filmmaking. For instance, it was depicted in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, a beloved movie. Brown and rainbow trout, two fish species that may reach weights of 4.5 kilos, are among those that can be found in the river.
Mataura
The Southland region of New Zealand’s South Island contains the Mataura River. Its length is 240 kilometers. The name of the river comes from a Maori phrase that means “reddish, shining face,” alluding to the river’s surface’s red glow when swamp water that has been tinted red by iron oxide pours into it.
The Mataura is well-known for producing brown trout and is a well-liked location for fishing, including white baiting. BirdLife International designated it as an Important Bird Area because it hosts breeding colonies of the critically endangered black-billed gull.
Waiau
In the Southland region of NZ, the Waiau River is the longest and most significant river. The name “Waiau” means “River of Swirling Currents”. In addition, the Upper Waiau River is a well-known destination for anglers interested in brown trout and salmon fishing.
Clarence River
The Kaikōura Ranges are located in the northeastern part of the South Island of New Zealand. The Clarence River is a prominent river that passes through those ranges. It is the river with the longest length in Canterbury, measuring approximately 209 kilometers, and it is the ninth-longest river in all of New Zealand.
Waitaki
The length of the Waitaki River is approximately 209 kilometers to the southeast, and it is a huge braided river that drains the Mackenzie Basin. The name Waitaki comes from southern Maori and means “weeping rivers.” The word “Waitangi” functions similarly in standard (northern) Maori.
Recreational activities such as jetboating and fishing are very common on the river.
Ōreti
The Ōreti River is one of the major rivers that flow through Southland in New Zealand. Its total length is 170 kilometers, and the tenth-longest river in NZ. Because the river is home to breeding colonies of black-billed gulls throughout a significant portion of its length, BirdLife International has deemed it to be an Important Bird Area.
2. What is the fastest-flowing river in New Zealand?
The enormous Clutha (Mata-Au) River, New Zealand’s river with the highest volume of water and the quickest current, runs through our district’s middle. It moves at such a breakneck pace that it might be compared to other global behemoths like the Amazon River.
3. What is the cleanest river in New Zealand?
Waikato is the cleanest river in New Zealand.
4. What is the steepest river in NZ?
Numerous commercial jet-boat operators offer tours on the Wairaurahiri River, the steepest navigable river in New Zealand. It is a 27-kilometer stretch of rough, rocky grade three rapids that descends 200 meters to the sea.
