Whakatane River

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Whakatane River
Whakatane River with part of the city of Whakatāne, the plain and part of the Bay of Plenty

Whakatane River with part of the city of Whakatāne , the plain and part of the Bay of Plenty

Data
location Bay of Plenty , North Island , New Zealand
River system Whakatane River
source Huiarau Range about 10 km south of the town of Ruatahuna
muzzle at Whakatāne in the Pacific Ocean Coordinates: 37 ° 59 ′ 0 ″  S , 177 ° 0 ′ 0 ″  E 37 ° 59 ′ 0 ″  S , 177 ° 0 ′ 0 ″  E
Mouth height 0  m

length 95 km
Medium-sized cities Whakatāne
Small towns Teneatua

The Whakatane River is a 95 km long river on the North Island of New Zealand whose river bed lies on one of the most geologically active faults in the country, where the Pacific Plate pushes under the Australian Plate .

In the Māori language , whakatāne means something like showing male qualities .

geography

The Whakatane River rises in the Huiarau Range about 10 km south of the small town of Ruatahuna and a good 5 km north-northwest of Lake Waikaremoana in the middle of the Te Urewera National Park . From there the river flows directly north, along the east side of the Ikawhenua and Raungaehe Range and reaches the Bay of Plenty through the town of Whakatāne where it finally flows into the Pacific Ocean . The valley of the river lies in part on New Zealand's most active fault, the Whakatane Rift system , which is considered to be the northern extension of the Wellington Fault.

The river drains at a flow rate of 200 m 3 / sec. in dry times and at high water with 30,000 m 3 / sec. an area of ​​about 232 km 2 . On average, the Whakatane River floods a plain about 4 km 2 above Whakatane twice a year .

Estuary of the Whakatane River with Motuhora Island in the background

Maori legend

The Māori named rivers or places after events or people. The name Whakatane was first used when the Mataatua canoe from Hawaiki reached the mouth of the Whakatane River more than six centuries ago. The men had moored the boat to explore the new land. The women who stayed behind were forbidden to do men's work, including operating the canoe. Unfortunately the men had not secured the canoe well and at low tide the canoe threatened to be driven out into the sea.

Wairaka , daughter of the tribal leader Toroa, noticed this and saw that the boat was being driven towards the rocks. Since it is to have swum to the boat and stood up and shouted: "Kia Whakatane au i ahau!" ( German : "I want to do the work that is reserved for the man.") Wairaka should gripped the oars and the canoe returned safely to have. Since then the place has been called Whakatane.

Wairaka sculpture in Whakatane River estuary

In her honor, a 2.5 m high female sculpture in a crying pose was erected on the small rock directly in the river mouth in 1965 .

use

The city of Whakatane and Orthope get all their drinking water from the river. The water supply with a good 9,000 m 3 per day peak performance is designed for around 22,700 people.

The river is very suitable for fishing. Brown trout and rainbow trout between one and two kg in size can be fished. Sea trout are preferred to be caught in the estuary area .

Along the part of the Whakatane River that flows through the Te Urewera National Park , the Whakatane River Track runs, which meets the river a few kilometers south of Waikirikiri and can be hiked to Ruhatahuna . The total hiking time of 25 to 37 hours can be divided into 9 sections with overnight accommodation.

literature

Web links

Commons : Whakatane River  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Te Urewera National Park - Natureandco - (accessed January 24, 2010)
  2. ↑ whakatāne . Māori Dictionary , accessed May 23, 2019 .
  3. ↑ A Maori Cultural View of Rivers by Kei Merito - Sea Keepers - (accessed January 25, 2010)
  4. ↑ Keith Melville, Wairaka: A contribution from two cultures , Bay of Plenty Times, May 17, 1996th
  5. ^ Water Supply - Whakatane District Council - (accessed January 25, 2010)
  6. ↑ Whakatane River Trout Fishing - nzfisching - (accessed January 25, 2010)
  7. ↑ Whakatane River tramping tracks. Department of Conservation , accessed September 21, 2014 .