The Wharekōpae River is located in the northeast 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 ...

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 ...

. A tributary of the Waikohu River (which is itself a tributary of the

Waipaoa River The Waipaoa River is in the Gisborne District, in the northeast of New Zealand's North Island. It rises on the eastern slopes of the Raukūmara Range, flowing south for to reach Poverty Bay and the Pacific Ocean just south of Gisborne. For a ...

), it rises on the slopes of Maungatapere, a peak at the northeastern end of the

Huiarau Range The Huiarau Range is a range of mountains in Te Urewera in the northeast of New Zealand's North Island. Part of the spine of mountains that run roughly parallel with the island's east coast, it is a southwestern extension of the Raukumara Range, ...

, and flows east, reaching the Waikohu River at the settlement of Waikohu, west of

Te Karaka Te Karaka is a small settlement inland from Gisborne, in the northeast of New Zealand's North Island. It is located in the valley of the Waipaoa River close to its junction with its tributary, the Waihora River. Te Karaka is located on State H ...

. At

Rere Arginine-glutamic acid dipeptide repeats protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''RERE'' gene. Function This gene encodes a member of the atrophin family of arginine-glutamic acid (RE) dipeptide repeat-containing proteins. The ...

, it cascades over the Rere Rock Slide, a smooth, natural rock formation long, and the picturesque Rere Falls. The river's name is

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 Co ...

for "house with a side door", which would have been an unusual feature of a traditional Māori dwelling.Reed, A.W. (1975). ''Place names of New Zealand''. Wellington: A.H. & A.W. Reed. p. 475

References

Rivers of the Gisborne District Rivers of New Zealand {{Gisborne-river-stub