Mokau
Mokau is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- -38.53°, 175.02°
About Mokau
The Mōkau River is located in the North Island of New Zealand.
The river rises as a spring in the Pureora Forest, south of Te Kūiti, on the slopes of the Rangitoto Range. After briefly following a north-westward course, it turns south-westwards and flows for 158 kilometres (98 mi) through the Waitomo District of the King Country. It enters the North Taranaki Bight at its mouth at the town of Mōkau.
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 (23 mi) 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 Mōkau eventually ended such enterprise.
Today the river is a popular whitebaiting and kayaking location.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Mōkau River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mokau: Key Facts
| Length | 158 km |
|---|---|
| Mouth | Tasman Sea |
| Tributaries | Mangaotaki River, Mangapehi River |
Facts from Wikidata Q1943153 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Mokau: Quick Answers
- Where is Mokau?
- Mokau is located in New Zealand, at 38.5311° S, 175.0227° E.
- Are there dams on the Mokau?
- No dam on the Mokau is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.