The Waitākere River is a river of the
Auckland Region
Auckland () is one of the 16 regions of New Zealand, which takes its name from the eponymous urban areas of New Zealand, urban area. The region encompasses the Auckland, Auckland metropolitan area, smaller towns, rural areas, and the islands o ...
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 ...
's
North Island
The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...
. It flows north then west from its sources in the
Waitākere Ranges
The Waitākere Ranges is a mountain range in New Zealand. Located in West Auckland, New Zealand, West Auckland between metropolitan Auckland and the Tasman Sea, the ranges and its foothills and coasts comprise some of public and private land. ...
, reaching the
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who in 1642 wa ...
at
Te Henga / Bethells Beach, to the south of
Muriwai Beach. The upper reaches of the river are
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
med to form the
Waitākere Reservoir
Waitākere Reservoir is a reservoir on the Waitakere River in the Waitākere Ranges, west of Auckland in New Zealand. The dam was completed in 1910 and is a concrete gravity dam with a slight curvature. It has a lake area of 25.1 hectares and a ...
. The Waitākere Falls, just below the dam, are high and the third highest waterfall in the North Island.
Geography

The stream originated in the
Waitākere Reservoir
Waitākere Reservoir is a reservoir on the Waitakere River in the Waitākere Ranges, west of Auckland in New Zealand. The dam was completed in 1910 and is a concrete gravity dam with a slight curvature. It has a lake area of 25.1 hectares and a ...
in the
Waitākere Ranges
The Waitākere Ranges is a mountain range in New Zealand. Located in West Auckland, New Zealand, West Auckland between metropolitan Auckland and the Tasman Sea, the ranges and its foothills and coasts comprise some of public and private land. ...
, and begins flowing northwards after leaving the Waitākere Dam. The Waitākere Falls can be found on the river adjacent to the dam.
The stream flows northwest through the Waitākere Ranges and is joined by a number of tributary streams, including the Cascade Stream, the location of a waterfall known as the Cascades, and an unnamed tributary stream where the Waitoru Falls are located. After exiting the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park and meeting the Waitupu Stream, the Waitākere River flows westwards until it become a wetland, and flows into the
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who in 1642 wa ...
at
Te Henga / Bethells Beach.
History
The river was a central point for
Te Kawerau ā Maki
Te Kawerau ā Maki, Te Kawerau a Maki, or Te Kawerau-a-Maki is a Māori ''iwi'' (tribe) of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. Predominantly based in West Auckland (Hikurangi also known as Waitākere), it had 251 registered adult members as of J ...
Māori, who originally called the lower section of the river Te Awa Kōtuku, or the
White heron's Plume River, and the upper section Waikirikiri.
The name Te Awa Kōtuku was a reference to the Waitākere Falls.
The area was the most densely settled area of
West Auckland,
and the river banks were the locations of many Te Kawerau ā Maki
kāinga, such as Ōhutukawa near
Lake Wainamu, Motu, Ōkaihau, Raumati, Pihāriki, Parawai, and Waitī.
In Te Kawerau ā Maki legend, the river is home to a malevolent
taniwha named Te Mokoroa.
While the river currently flows into the Tasman Sea south of Ihumoana Island at Te Henga / Bethells Beach, the river previously flowed north of the island, over-top of a rock named Waitākere ("cascading water"). The mouth of the river ("Te Puaha o Waitākere") began to be known as Waitākere during the early 18th century, after the death of an important chief whose body was laid on the rock.
Over time, Te Kawerau ā Maki began referring to the entire river by the name Waitākere.
The upper Waitākere River was first milled for
kauri
''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees, native to Australasia and Southeast Asia. It is one of three extant genera in the family Araucariaceae, alongside '' Wollemia'' and ''Araucaria'' (being ...
timber from the 1870s, with bullock carts transporting timber to Auckland along clay tracks and barges.
The opening of the
North Auckland railway between Auckland and
Helensville
Helensville () is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. It is sited northwest of Auckland, close to the southern extremity of the Kaipara Harbour. State Highway 16 passes through the town, connecting it to Waimauku to the south, and Ka ...
in 1881 opened up the upper Waitākere River area for more intensive logging.
In the late 1880s, a small sawmill operated in the Waitākere River valley.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Waitākere Falls was one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Waitākere Ranges, until the construction of the
Waitākere Dam in 1910 severely reduced the water volume.
The dam was constructed to solve successive drinking water crises faced by the city of Auckland.
It caused a major drop in the volume of the river, stopping the river from being able to be navigated by canoe, reduced the water quality levels, and significantly affecting the availability of fish and other river resources, negatively affecting the Te Kawerau ā Maki community living along the river.
Between 1919 and 1925, kauri logging intensified when the Kauri Timber Company (KTC) operated along the Waitākere River valley.
During this period, the company operated a bush tramline along the valley.
In 1927, the height of the Waitakere Dam was increased, which increased the size of the Waitakere Reservoir and flooded the original site of Waitī.
Gallery
File:Waitakare Reservoir 3.jpg, The Waitākere Reservoir
File:WaitakereDam.jpg, The Waitākere Dam
File:Waitākere River valley 20241222 113532.jpg, The upper Waitākere River valley northwest of the Waitākere Reservoir
File:Waitakere River 20211102 133451.jpg, The Waitākere River near Te Henga (Bethells Beach)
See also
*
List of rivers of New Zealand
This is a list of all waterways named as rivers in New Zealand.
A
* Aan River
* Acheron River (Canterbury)
* Acheron River (Marlborough)
* Ada River (New Zealand), Ada River
* Adams River (New Zealand), Adams River
* Ahaura River
* Ahuriri R ...
*
Te Henga (Bethells Beach)#Ecology of the Waitakere River catchment
References
{{Waitākere Ranges Local Board Area
Rivers of the Auckland Region
Te Kawerau ā Maki
Waitākere Ranges
Waitākere Ranges Local Board Area
West Auckland, New Zealand