The Awaroa River is a river in the Ōtorohanga District on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. It flows north from its source near Te Koraha through Hauturu to Kawhia Harbour.[1] The river passes through both pasture and indigenous forest.[2] Over half of the river is in forest.[3]
| Awaroa River | |
|---|---|
 Awaroa River bridge and Hauturu in 2019 | |
.png)  | |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | near Te Koraha |
| • elevation | 519 m (1,703 ft) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Kawhia Harbour |
• coordinates | 38°05′23″S 174°54′54″E / 38.08972°S 174.91500°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 28 km (17 mi) |
| Basin size | 109 km2 (42 sq mi) |
The name translates to "long river".[4] It is a name used by 33 other locations,[5] including two waterways in Northland (Awaroa River and another, rather longer, flowing into the Wairoa River), a river north of Kaiteriteri[5] and 9 in Waikato Region (Awaroa River and 2 streams, flowing into the Waikato,[6] one flowing into Lake Whangape, another into Lake Waahi, another stream flowing into the Piako River, 2 Awaroa Streams in Coromandel, one flowing into Kennedy Bay[5] and a tributary of the Opitonui River).[7]
The bridge carrying Harbour Road over the river was originally built in 1930.[8] In 1922 a launch ran from Kawhia to Awaroa, with a coach connection to Ōtorohanga.[9]
Veronica scopulorum ‘Awaroa’ is a naturally uncommon hebe, endemic to about half a dozen limestone outcrops in the head waters of the Awaroa River and northern Taumatatotara Range.[10] It is threatened by weed invasion, forest degradation and goat and possum browse.[11]
Awaroa Scenic Reserve, at the river's estuary,[12] covers 692.84 ha (1,712.0 acres)[13] and has the fern Ophioglossum coriaceum, the orchid Bulbophyllum tuberculatum and the mistletoe Peraxilla tetrapetala.[14] The estuary upstream from Uenukutuhatu Rock has mangrove, seagrass, freshwater marsh clubrush and regenerating bush, with invasive black locust trees.[15]
Some coal was discovered in the valley in 1903,[16] but its quality was too poor to mine.[17]
The river was once used for navigation; in 1924 launch owners asked for willows to be removed.[18] A 1981 report said the willows didn't hinder navigation, but launches could only go as far as the road bridge.[19]
References edit
- ^ "Awaroa River, Waikato". NZ Topo Map. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ "Environmental monitoring data for Awaroa River". Land, Air, Water Aotearoa (LAWA). Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ "Hydrodynamic Model Calibration of the West Coast Harbours" (PDF). Waikato Regional Council. August 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 February 2021.
- ^ "1000 Māori place names – Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week NZHistory online". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- ^ a b c "New Zealand Gazetteer: Search for Place Names". Land Information New Zealand (LINZ). Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- ^ "Awaroa River at Hauturu Road Bridge". www.lawa.org.nz. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- ^ "Minimum Flows for Ecosystem Health in Selected Coromandel Streams" (PDF). Environment Waikato. 2007.
- ^ "BACKBLOCR AMENITIES. KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 29 March 1930. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ "WAIPA POST". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2 November 1922. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
- ^ "Significant natural areas of the Otorohanga district: terrestrial and wetland ecosystems Technical Report 2016/36" (PDF). Waikato Regional Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 February 2021.
- ^ "Veronica scopulorum". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ "Kawhia Harbour (Awaroa) Scenic Reserve, WK, NZ". iNaturalist. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ "Waikato Regional Council Technical Report 2016/36 Significant natural areas of the Otorohanga district: terrestrial and wetland ecosystems" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 June 2021.
- ^ "N.Z. Botanical Society Newsletter" (PDF). June 1987. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 January 2016.
- ^ "Estuarine Vegetation Survey – Kawhia Harbour" (PDF). 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2021.
- ^ "KAWHIA COAL DEPOSITS. WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 7 February 1903. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
- ^ "Kawhia Coalmine WAIKATO ARGUS". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 31 August 1910. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
- ^ "Kawhia Harbour Board KAWHIA SETTLER AND RAGLAN ADVERTISER". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 25 January 1924. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
- ^ G.D. & J.H. Egarr (1981). "New Zealand Recreational River Survey Pnrt Il" (PDF). NIWA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 April 2021.
External links edit
- Google Street View from Harbour Road bridge to 188 m (617 ft) Hautapu Bluff
- 1907 photo of Awaroa River and Hautapu Bluff