The Pātea River is in
Taranaki in the
North Island of
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. It runs for 105 kilometres from the eastern slopes of
Mount Taranaki, passing east through
Stratford before swinging south and reaching the
South Taranaki Bight near the town of
Patea.
The river was the original portal to
South Taranaki for both
Māori and Europeans. In the early days of colonial New Zealand, the Pātea River defined the boundary between
New Ulster Province and
New Munster Province (from 1841 to 1853—refer to
Provinces of New Zealand).
Many enjoy canoeing in the Pātea River—it is the only navigable river in
South Taranaki.
Lake Rotorangi on the river is the longest man-made lake in New Zealand (46 km), formed when the Egmont Electric Power Board built the
Patea Dam in 1980–84. The interesting southern access drive is via Ball Road through
Alton and
Hurleyville. There is a camping site with toilet facilities at the dam.
South Taranaki District
Stratford District, New Zealand
Rivers of Taranaki
Rivers of New Zealand
Rivers of Egmont National Park
Patea
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