Mohaka River
| Mohaka River | |
|---|---|
Mohaka River viewed from the State Highway 5 bridge | |
The Mohaka River (dark blue) and its major tributaries | |
| Native name | Mohaka (Māori) |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Hawkes Bay |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Kaimanawa Range |
| Mouth | Hawke Bay |
• location | Mohaka |
• coordinates | 39°07′30″S 177°11′38″E / 39.125°S 177.194°E |
• elevation | Sea level |
| Length | 172 kilometres (107 mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 81 m3/s (2,900 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Bridges | Mohaka Viaduct |
The Mohaka river is on the North Island of New Zealand in the east central region of Hawke’s Bay. Mohaka is a Maori word, roughly translated it means “place for dancing”. The iwi (Māori tribes) associated with the Mohaka River are Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Hineuru, Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Mana Ahuriri. The headwaters are found in the Kaweka and Kaimanawa ranges. From the range it winds southeast before twisting northeast and finally southeast again to empty into the Pacific Ocean near the town of Mohaka. There are many gorges on the Mohaka; some as steep as 200m (656 feet). Its main tributaries are the Waipunga, Taharua, Hautapu rivers. The full length is 172 kilometres (107 mi) and it drains a basin of 2,357 square kilometres (910 sq mi). The Mohaka Viaduct is a railway bridge over the lower Mohaka river. The Napier–Taupo road (State Highway 5) has had several bridges over the upper Mohaka, with the current one built in 1962.