The Waitakaruru Stream is a major tributary of the Piako River, within the Waikato region of New Zealand's

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

. It should not be confused with the similarly named Waitakaruru River, which is also in the Waikato Region. The Waitakaruru Stream has its origin in the Te Miro-Tahuroa Hills south of Morrinsville, within the

Waikato District Waikato District is a territorial authority of New Zealand, in the northern part of Waikato region, North Island. Waikato District is administered by the Waikato District Council, with headquarters in Ngāruawāhia. The district is centred to t ...

. Initially the stream flows south and south-west through Scotsman's Valley before turning northwards at

Tauwhare Tauwhare is a small rural community in the Waikato District on the outskirts of Hamilton. The Waitakaruru Arboretum and Sculpture Park is located here. There is a Community Committee and a Memorial Hall. The 1902 Cyclopedia of New Zealand n ...

flowing roughly parallel to the Pakaroa Range as it passes the boundary of Eureka before entering the Matamata-Piako District. The stream passes through the settlement of

Motumaoho Motumaoho is a small village in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island, just to the west of the Pakaroa Range. It is on SH26, east of Hamilton and west of Morrinsville. The village is bordered by the Waitakaruru Stream to the east. ...

, progressively turning a more easterly direction towards Morrinsville, where it has a walkway beside it and converges with the larger Piako River on southern outskirts of the town. The stream catchment is highly modified by agriculture, ranging from sheep, beef and dairy farming. Parts of the middle catchment are prone to minor flooding due to a natural constriction in the stream channel between Eureka and Motumaoho. The stream is part of the Eureka Drainage Scheme, managed by the Waikato Regional Council. The Waitakaruru Stream is notable in that it forms part of the catchment boundary between the Piako River catchment and the Waikato River catchment. The Piako River drains into the Firth of Thames, and ultimately the Pacific Ocean, while the Waikato River drains into the Tasman Sea. The bordering sub-catchment which feeds the Waikato River is the Mangaonua Stream. It also has a tributary named Waitakaruru Stream. Near its source, in the Scotsman Valley area, the stream has short- and long-fin eels,

common bully The common bully (''Gobiomorphus cotidianus''), or toitoi (Māori), is a fish endemic to New Zealand, and is present throughout the country. There are three other bully species that can be confused with common bullies. There are few characterist ...

, torrentfish and koura.

References

Matamata-Piako District Rivers of Waikato Rivers of New Zealand Hauraki Gulf catchment {{Waikato-river-stub

See also

References