The Waipaoa River is a river of the northeast 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 on the eastern slopes of the Raukumara Range

Raukumara Range

The Raukumara Range lies north of Gisborne, near East Cape in New Zealand's North Island. It forms part of the North Island's main mountain chain, which runs north-northeast from Wellington to East Cape, and is composed primarily of greywacke, argillites, siltstones and sandstones. The North...

, flowing south for 80 kilometres to reach Poverty Bay

Poverty Bay

Poverty Bay is the largest of several small bays on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island to the north of Hawkes Bay. It stretches for 10 kilometres from Young Nick's Head in the southwest to Tuaheni Point in the northeast. The city of Gisborne is located on the northern shore of the bay...

 and the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

 just south of Gisborne

Gisborne, New Zealand

-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...

. For about half of this distance its valley is followed by State Highway 2. The river has several important tributaries, among them the Wharekopai, Waikohu, Mangatu, Waingaromia and Waihora rivers. Major settlements along the banks of the river include Te Karaka

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...

, Ormond

Ormond, New Zealand

Ormond is a small settlement inland from Gisborne, in the northeast of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on State Highway 2 in the valley of the Waipaoa River, halfway between Gisborne and the township of Te Karaka....

, and Patutahi

Patutahi

Patutahi is a small settlement 15 kilometres from Gisborne, in the northeast of New Zealand's North Island. It is located in the valley of the Waipaoa River....

.