The Waipori River is in

Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...

in the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

of New Zealand. Rising in the

Lammerlaw Range The Lammerlaw Range is in the Otago region of New Zealand. It is an important watershed, and the source of many of the tributaries in the Taieri and lower Clutha River systems. The origins of the placename are Scottish. Windfarms have been site ...

, it flows southeast for before joining the

Taieri River The Taieri River is the fourth-longest river in New Zealand and is in Otago in the South Island. Rising in the Lammerlaw Range, it initially flows north, then east around the Rock and Pillar range before turning southeast, reaching the sea sou ...

near Henley, southwest of

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

of which it is officially the southernmost border. Google Maps erroneously shows the stretch of Taieri river from the confluence to the mouth as Waipori River. The correct name is shown on the New Zealand government's official NZ Topo Map. The upper reaches of the Waipori flow through rough hill country, much of it covered by the Berwick Forest. An artificial lake,

Lake Mahinerangi Lake Mahinerangi is a lake formed when a dam was built on the Waipori River for hydroelectricity, hydroelectric generation. The lake is to the west of Dunedin in New Zealand's South Island. Construction of the dam started in 1903 and since 1907, ...

is formed on the river behind a small

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

station at Waipori Falls, which was built in 1880 to provide power for the city of Dunedin. Much of this area is within the Waipori Falls Scenic Reserve.Dann, C. & Peat, N. (1989) ''Dunedin, North and South Otago.'' Wellington: GP Books; pp. 66-69. The lower reaches of the river pass through an area of wetlands around Lakes

Waihola The township of Waihola lies between Dunedin and Milton, New Zealand in Otago, in New Zealand's South Island. It lies close to the southeast shore of the shallow tidal lake which shares its name. The town is located on State Highway 1, and the ...

and

Waipori Waipori may refer to either: * Waipori, New Zealand, a township within Dunedin, New Zealand's city limits * The Waipori River in Otago in the South Island of New Zealand, or to * Lake Waipori, an area of wetlands draining into the Waipori River ...

, both of which drain into the river. This area is a habitat for many species of wading birds. The

Sinclair Wetlands The Sinclair Wetlands (''Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau'') are an internationally renowned wetlands located to the south west of Dunedin, New Zealand, at the southern edge of the Taieri Plains. They are on the western side of Lake Waipori and approximate ...

reserve is located in this area. The name Waipori comes from

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

words meaning "dark water". p. 453.

Notes

Rivers of Otago Rivers of New Zealand Taieri River {{Otago-river-stub