The Wairoa River runs north into
Tauranga Harbour at the western end of the
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaw ...
in New Zealand's
North Island.
Hydroelectric power
In the mid-1970s the Tauranga Joint Generation Committee proposed a hydroelectric power scheme for the Wairoa River. The newly formed Kaimai Canoe Club (established by Barry Anderson, Bill Ross, Kerry Smith and Peter Entwistle) opposed the scheme at the water rights headings, this was on the grounds that it would destroy fishing, sport and recreation for existing and future generations. A compromise was arrived at by allowing the release of water 26 days a year for
whitewater
Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...
recreation.
The last dam diverts water around the river bed to the
Ruahihi Power Station.
TrustPower
Manawa Energy Limited, formerly Trustpower, is a New Zealand electricity generation company that offers bespoke electricity products to commercial and industrial customers across New Zealand. Manawa Energy has 26 hydro-electricity schemes, with a ...
is now the manager of the power scheme on the river.
TrustPower
- Kaimai hydro power scheme
Whitewater recreation
Every year in February the upper section of the river is home to a kayak extreme whitewater race. The first day is a sprint down to bottom of The Waterfall. The second day is head to head racing down the Grade V Waterfall and Rollercoaster.
The whitewater
Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...
starts at McLaren Falls, a seven-metre Grade VI waterfall (usually not paddled). The first one-metre drop is called "Humpty Dumpty", often used as a warm-up. The first major rapid is "Mother's Nightmare" - a long Grade IV rapid finishing with a 2-metre drop. Then follow the few grade III rapids (Helicopter, Double Trouble & Devils Elbow/Washing Machine). Then comes the two Grade V sections, "Top Waterfall" (a small drop into a hole followed by a three-metre drop) and Roller Coaster. After that there is a Grade III rock garden, a Whitewater Slalom gorge and few short grade III rapids leading up to the grade III "Bottom Waterfall" (another two metre drop).
See also
*Rivers of New Zealand
The rivers of New Zealand are used for a variety of purposes and face a number of environmental issues. In the North Island's hill country the rivers are deep, fast flowing and most are unnavigable. Many of the rivers in the South Island are b ...
*Kaituna River
The Kaituna River is in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the outflow from Lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti, and flows northwards for , emptying into the Bay of Plenty near Te Puke. It was the subject of a claim concer ...
References
External links
Environment Bay of Plenty
- live river flow telemetry data
Whitewater NZ River Guide
- information on the Wairoa River
Kaimai Canoe Club
- Local kayak organisation
{{coord, 37.6787, S, 176.1041, E, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:NZ, display=title
Rivers of the Bay of Plenty Region
Rivers of New Zealand