Mokau River

The Mokau river entering the North Taranaki Bight, with Mokau beach in the foreground.

The Mokau River is located in the North Island of New Zealand.

The river rises as a spring in the Pureroa Forest, south of Te Kuiti, on the slopes of the Rangitoto Range and after briefly following a north-westward course it turns south-westwards and flows for 158 kilometres through the Waitomo District. It enters the North Taranaki Bight at its mouth at Mokau.

Although the rivermouth is enclosed by a large sandbar, with a high tide, larger vessels can pass safely and enter the river, which is navigable for 37 kilometres upstream. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the banks of the river were host to a thriving industry of logging and coal-mining. However, the risks and costs of transporting goods down the Mokau eventually ended such enterprise.

Today the river is a popular whitebaiting and kayaking location.

References

• 'MOKAU RIVER', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966

Further reading

• Mokau River resource inventory, New Plymouth, [N.Z.]: Dept. of Lands and Survey, 1986 
• Gray, Brian E. (2007), The vital link : crossing the Mokau, Urenui, [N.Z.]: Pilot Gardens 
• Hanchet, Stuart M.; Hayes, John W. (1989), Fish and fisheries values of the Mokau River and tributaries draining the Mokau coalfield, Rotorua, [N.Z.]: Freshwater Fisheries Centre, MAFFish 
• Needham, Brad (2004), The variation in river mouth dynamics, spit and shoreline morphology at Mokau (M.Sc., University of Waikato) 
• Smith, Brian J. (2007), Adult aquatic insect fauna of the Mokau River, Hamilton East, [N.Z.]: Environment Waikato Regional Council 

External links

• Puke Ariki - Shooting Up The Mokau River
• Puke Ariki - Mokau River Holds Stories of Past

Coordinates: 38°42′00″S 174°37′23″E / 38.699942°S 174.622961°E / -38.699942; 174.622961