Wairoa River (Auckland)

The river begins in the central Hunua Ranges, flowing south to the Wairoa Reservoir, and once exiting the Hunua Ranges changing course to flow northwards. Paparimu Road and Hunua Road follow the course of the river as it flows northwards through farmland. Much of the western Hunua Ranges flows into the Wairoa River, including Cosseys Creek and the Ōtau Valley, both of which have been dammed as freshwater reservoirs. In addition to these, the Wairoa River is joined by other tributaries: the Mangawheau Stream, the Hunua Stream which flows past the settlement of Hūnua, and the Taitaia Stream, which meets the Wairoa River north of Clevedon. Past Clevedon, the river veers north-east, meeting the Urungahauhau Stream and the Aroaro Stream of the Ness Valley and forming an estuary. The estuary reaches the Hauraki Gulf at Pouto Point in the east. == Geology ==

The river first formed during the Pliocene era, approximately 3 to 4 million years ago. Originally it was a westwards-flowing river, flowing into the proto-Manukau Harbour past Weymouth. Much of the river flows along the Wairoa River Gorge, formed along a fault line. The Hūnua Falls, a 30 metre high waterfall, flows overtop of an ancient volcanic plug. == History ==

The Wairoa River's traditional name, Te Wairoa ("The Great River") was named by early Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki ancestors of the Tainui waka, referencing Te Vairoa in Rarotonga, which in turn took its name from a similarly named river in Tahiti. Te Wairoa was a name applying to the river mouth and surrounding area, while Ōtau referred to the upstream areas further, including where the river passes by Clevedon. The early Tāmaki Māori hapū of the Wairoa river valley between the 14th and 16th centuries included Te Ngungukauri, Te Uri Kupai, Ngāti Ruangaingai and Ngāti Parahanga, who identified as both Ngāti Tai Manawaiti, and Ngā Iwi (Waiohua). The related hapū were united under the rangatira Te Wana in the early 18th century, under the name Ngāti Tai (now more widely known as Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki). Ngāi Tai peoples traditionally lived in seasonal cycles, focusing on fishing and shellfish collecting, cultivations and collecting berries and snaring birds in the river's upper reaches, depending on the season. Ngāi Tai settled at many pā and kāinga along the river, especially at the river's mouth. In November of 1769, Captain Cook visited the Hauraki Gulf area. Cook gifted potatoes to senior members of Te Uri ō Pou from Ōrere, who then planted these at Te Hūnua, along the Wairoa River (likely near modern-day Clevedon). These were the first crop of potatoes grown in New Zealand, and three years later, potatoes were gifted during a feast at Te Hūnua to the tribes of the Hauraki Gulf and Waikato, becoming some of the first varieties of rīwai (Māori potatoes) in New Zealand. In 1836, Fairburn purchased 40,000 acres between Ōtāhuhu and Umupuia (Duders Beach), including much of the catchment of the Wairoa River. In the early 1900s, the river mouth became popular with Auckland residents for duck shooting and picnicking. In 2002, the Auckland Regional Council began developing a management strategy for the river, with was further developed in 2016 with the founding of the Wairoa River Steering Group, now a part of the volunteer conversation group Friends of Te Wairoa Catchment, which formed in 2017. In 2017, the Wairoa River won a New Zealand River Award for being the most improved river in the Auckland Region. == Recreation ==

The lower Wairoa River north of Clevedon is navigable by boats and canoes. ==See also==