The Tokomaru River is a river of the Manawatu-Wanganui Region of New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

's North Island

North Island

The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...

. It rises to the southeast of Shannon

Shannon, New Zealand

Shannon is a small town in the Horowhenua District of New Zealand's North Island. it is located 28 kilometres southwest of Palmerston North and 15 kilometres northeast of Levin. The town's population at the 2006 census was 1506....

 and initially flows northeast down a long valley in the Tararua Range

Tararua Range

The Tararua Range is one of several mountain ranges in the North Island of New Zealand which form a ridge running parallel with the east coast of the island between East Cape and Wellington....

 before turning northwestto reach the edge of the Manawatu Plain near the town of Tokomaru

Tokomaru

Tokomaru may refer to:*Tokomaru Bay, the name of a bay and town in the East Cape of New Zealand*Tokomaru, New Zealand, a town in the Horowhenua district of New Zealand*Tokomaru , a Māori migration canoe...

. From here it turns southwest, reaching the Manawatu River

Manawatu River

The Manawatu River is a major river of the southern North Island of New Zealand.The river has its headwaters to the northwest of Norsewood in the Ruahine Ranges of southern Hawke's Bay. It flows initially eastward before turning south-west near Ormondville, flowing 40 km before turning...

three kilometres north of Shannon.