The 10 longest rivers

1. Waikato River
   Waikato River
   The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand. In the North Island, it runs for 425 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and emptying into Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. It drains Taupo at the lake's northeastern edge, creates the...
   
    (NI) - 425 km (264 mi)
2. Clutha River
   Clutha River
   The Clutha River / Mata-Au is the second longest river in New Zealand flowing south-southeast through Central and South Otago from Lake Wanaka in the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean, south west of Dunedin. It is the highest volume river in New Zealand, and the swiftest, with a catchment of ,...
   
    or Matau River (SI) - 322 km (200 mi)
3. Whanganui River
   Whanganui River
   The Whanganui River is a major river in the North Island of New Zealand.Known for many years as the Wanganui River, the river's name reverted to Whanganui in 1991, according with the wishes of local iwi. Part of the reason was also to avoid confusion with the Wanganui River in the South Island...
   
    (NI) - 290 km (180 mi)
4. Taieri River
   Taieri River
   The Taieri River is the fourth-longest river in New Zealand and is located in Otago in the South Island. Rising in the Lammerlaw ranges, it initially flows north, then east around the Rock and Pillar range before turning southeast, reaching the sea 30 km south of Dunedin.The upper reaches meander...
   
    (SI) - 288 km (179 mi)
5. Rangitikei River
   Rangitikei River
   The Rangitikei River is one of New Zealand's longest rivers, 185 kilometers long.Its headwaters are to the southeast of Lake Taupo in the Kaimanawa Ranges. It flows from the Central Plateau south past Taihape, Mangaweka, Hunterville, Marton, and Bulls, to the South Taranaki Bight at Tangimoana, 40...
   
    (NI) - 241 km (150 mi)
6. Mataura River
   Mataura River
   The Mataura River is in the Southland Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is 190 kilometres in length.The river's headwaters are located in mountains to the south of Lake Wakatipu. From there it flows southeast towards Gore, where it turns southward...
   
    (SI) - 240 km (149 mi)
7. Waiau River, Southland
   Waiau River, Southland
   Waiau River is the largest river in the Southland Region of New Zealand. It is the outflow of Lake Te Anau, flowing from it into Lake Manapouri 10 kilometres to the south, and from there flows south for 70 kilometres before reaching the Foveaux Strait eight kilometres south of Tuatapere...
   
    (SI) - 217 km (135 mi)
8. Clarence River
   Clarence River, New Zealand
   Clarence River is located on South Island of New Zealand. It is 160 kilometres long.For its first 50 kilometres, the river runs in a generally southeastern direction. It then turns northeast, running down a long straight valley between the Inland and Seaward Kaikoura Ranges...
   
    (SI) - 209 km (130 mi)
9. Waitaki River
   Waitaki River
   The Waitaki River is a large river in the South Island of New Zealand, some 110 km long. It is the major river of the Mackenzie Basin.It is a braided river which flows through Lake Benmore, Lake Aviemore and Lake Waitaki. These are ultimately fed by three large glacial lakes, Pukaki, Tekapo,...
   
    (SI) - 209 km (130 mi)
10. Oreti River
    Oreti River
    The Oreti River is one of the main rivers of Southland, New Zealand, and is 170 kilometres in length.The Oreti has its headwaters close to the Mavora Lakes between Lake Te Anau and Lake Wakatipu, and flows south across the Southland Plains to its outflow into Foveaux Strait at the southeastern end...
    
     (SI) - 203 km (126 mi)

Over 100 kilometres

• Rangitaiki River
  Rangitaiki River
  The Rangitaiki River is the longest river in the Bay of Plenty region in New Zealand's North Island. It is 155 kilometres in length, and rises inland from northern Hawke Bay to the east of the Kaingaroa Forest....
  
   (NI) - 193 km (121 mi)
• Manawatu River
  Manawatu River
  The Manawatu River is a major river of the southern North Island of New Zealand.The river has its headwaters to the northwest of Norsewood in the Ruahine Ranges of southern Hawke's Bay. It flows initially eastward before turning south-west near Ormondville, flowing 40 km before turning...
  
   (NI) - 182 km (113 mi)
• Buller River
  Buller River
  The Buller River is in the South Island of New Zealand. One of the country's longest rivers, it flows for 170 kilometres from Lake Rotoiti through the Buller Gorge and into the Tasman Sea near the town of Westport...
  
   or Kawatiri River (SI) - 177 km (110 mi)
• Waihou River
  Waihou River
  thumb|The Waihou River near [[Putaruru]]The Waihou River is located in the northern North Island of New Zealand. Its former name, Thames River, was bestowed by Captain James Cook....
  
   (NI) - 175 km (109 mi)
• Mohaka River
  Mohaka River
  The Mohaka River is a river in the northern Hawke's Bay region of the eastern North Island of New Zealand. It flows east-southeast for 70 kilometres from the Ahimanawa Range, before flowing into Hawke Bay close to the settlement of Mohaka, 20 kilometres southwest of Wairoa.New Zealand's highest...
  
   (NI) - 172 km (107 mi)
• Wairau River
  Wairau River
  The Wairau River is one of the longest rivers in New Zealand's South Island. It flows for 170 kilometres from the Spenser Mountains , firstly in a northwards direction and then northeast down a long, straight valley in inland Marlborough.The river's lower reaches are noted for the surrounding...
  
   (SI) - 169 km (105 mi)
• Whangaehu River
  Whangaehu River
  The Whangaehu River is a large river in central North Island of New Zealand. Its headwaters are the crater lake of Mount Ruapehu on the central plateau, and it flows into the Tasman Sea eight kilometres southeast of Wanganui.-Length:...
  
   (NI) - 161 km (100 mi)
• Waimakariri River
  Waimakariri River
  The Waimakariri River is the largest of the North Canterbury rivers, in the South Island of New Zealand. It flows for 151 kilometres in a generally southeastward direction from the Southern Alps across the Canterbury Plains to the Pacific Ocean....
  
   (SI) - 161 km (100 mi)
• Mokau River
  Mokau River
  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...
  
   (NI) - 158 km (98 mi)
• Ngaruroro River
  Ngaruroro River
  The Ngaruroro River is located in the eastern North Island of New Zealand. It runs for a total of 100 kilometres, southeast from the Kaweka Range and then east before emptying into Hawke Bay 10 kilometres south of Napier, near the town of Clive....
  
   (NI) - 154 km (96 mi)
• Waiau River, Marlborough (SI) - 147 km (92 mi)
• Rakaia River
  Rakaia River
  The Rakaia River is in the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand's South Island. The Rakaia River is one of the largest braided rivers in New Zealand...
  
   (SI) - 145 km (90 mi)
• Patea River
  Patea River
  The Patea River is in Taranaki in the North Island of New Zealand. It runs for 105 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki, passing east through Stratford before swinging south and reaching the South Taranaki Bight near the town of Patea....
  
   (NI) - 143 km (89 mi)
• Hurunui River
  Hurunui River
  The Hurunui River is the fourth largest of the four principal rivers in north Canterbury, New Zealand, with a catchment area of 2,670 square kilometres. The river flows from the eastern side of the Southern Alps, to the Pacific Ocean....
  
   (SI) - 138 km (86 mi)
• Turakina River
  Turakina River
  The Turakina River is a river of the southwestern North Island of New Zealand. It flows generally southwestward from its source south of Waiouru, roughly paralleling the larger Whangaehu River, and reaches the sea 20 kilometres southeast of Wanganui....
  
   (NI) - 137 km (85 mi)
• Wairoa River, Bay of Plenty
  Wairoa River, Bay of Plenty
  The Wairoa River runs north into Tauranga Harbour at the western end of the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand's North island.-Hydroelectric power:In the mid-1970s the Tauranga Joint Generation Committee proposed a hydroelectric power scheme for the Wairoa River...
  
   (NI) - 137 km (85 mi)
• Wairoa River, Northland
  Wairoa River, Northland
  New Zealand's longest Wairoa River runs for 150 kilometres through the northern part of the North Auckland Peninsula. In the upper reaches, the river is formed from two separate rivers, the Manganui River and - confusingly - the Wairua River. The two streams meet to the northeast of Dargaville,...
  
   (NI) - 132 km (82 mi)
• Awatere River
  Awatere River
  The Awatere River is a large river flowing through Marlborough, New Zealand. Flowing along the trace of the active Awatere Fault, it runs northeast through a straight valley to the west of the Inland Kaikoura mountains...
  
   (SI) - 126 km (78 mi)
• Grey River or Mawhera River (SI) - 121 km (75 mi)
• Rangitata River
  Rangitata River
  The Rangitata River is one of the braided rivers that helped form the Canterbury Plains in southern New Zealand. It flows southeast for 120 kilometres from the Southern Alps, entering the Pacific Ocean 30 kilometres northeast of Timaru...
  
   (SI) - 120 km (74 mi)
• Motueka River
  Motueka River
  The Motueka River is located in the north of the South Island of New Zealand and is a popular tourist destination for watersports and fishing. The Motueka flows from the mountains 40 km west of the city of Nelson in the southeast of the catchment and flows north to the Tasman...
  
   (SI) - 116 km (72 mi)
• Waitaki River
  Waitaki River
  The Waitaki River is a large river in the South Island of New Zealand, some 110 km long. It is the major river of the Mackenzie Basin.It is a braided river which flows through Lake Benmore, Lake Aviemore and Lake Waitaki. These are ultimately fed by three large glacial lakes, Pukaki, Tekapo,...
  
   (SI) - 111 km (69 mi)
• Patea River
  Patea River
  The Patea River is in Taranaki in the North Island of New Zealand. It runs for 105 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki, passing east through Stratford before swinging south and reaching the South Taranaki Bight near the town of Patea....
  
   (NI) - 105 km (65 mi)
• Aparima River
  Aparima River
  The Aparima River is located in Southland, New Zealand. It has its headwaters in the Takitimu Mountains, south of Lake Te Anau, and flows south for 100 kilometres before entering Foveaux Strait near Riverton at the north end of Oreti Beach....
  
   (SI) - 102 km (63 mi)

50 to 100 kilometres

• Whakatane River
  Whakatane River
  The Whakatane River is a major river of the Bay of Plenty Region in the North Island of New Zealand.It flows north from near the small town of Ruatahuna through Te Urewera National Park, reaching the Bay of Plenty through the town of Whakatane. The river is 95 kilometres in length....
  
   (NI) - 95 km (59 mi)
• Pomahaka River
  Pomahaka River
  The Pomahaka River is located in South Otago in New Zealand's South Island. It is a tributary of the Clutha River, flowing south for 80 kilometres from the Old Man Range of mountains to join the Clutha just north of Balclutha...
  
   (SI) - 81 km (50 mi)
• Orari River
  Orari River
  The Orari River is a river of the south Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island. It rises to the northwest of the Four Peaks Range, initially flowing north then east to circumnavigate the range before flowing southwest across the Canterbury Plains. The towns of Geraldine and Orari are both...
  
   (SI) - 74 km (46 mi)
• Karamea River
  Karamea River
  The Karamea River is a river of New Zealand. It is located in the Tasman and West Coast Regions of the South Island. The river rises within Kahurangi National Park in the Matiri Range of the Southern Alps. The river rises to the east of Mount Allen, meandering west briefly before turning north...
  
   (SI) - 73 km (45 mi)
• Ongarue River
  Ongarue River
  The Ongarue River is a river of the Waikato and Manawatu-Wanganui Regions of New Zealand's North Island. A major tributary of the Whanganui River, it flows west then south from its sources in the Hauhungaroa Range northwest of Lake Taupo, passing through the town of Taumarunui before reaching the...
  
   (NI) - 73 km (45 mi)
• Ahuriri River
  Ahuriri River
  The Ahuriri River is a river in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand.The headwaters are on the eastern flanks of the Southern Alps. The river flows for 70 kilometres through the southernmost part of the Mackenzie Basin before reaching the Ahuriri Arm of Lake Benmore, one of the...
  
   (SI) - 70 km (43 mi)
• Inangahua River
  Inangahua River
  The Inangahua River is located in the northwest of New Zealand’s South Island. It is a major tributary of the Buller River, which it joins at the town of Inangahua Junction....
  
   (SI) - 65 km (40 mi)
• Moawhango River
  Moawhango River
  The Moawhango River is a major river of the centre of New Zealand's North Island. It flows generally southwest from its sources in the Kaimanawa Range 35 kilometres to the east of Mount Ruapehu to reach Lake Moawhango at the southern end of the Rangipo Desert, 10 kilometres north of Waiouru...
  
   (NI) - 62 km (38 mi)
• Waitoa River
  Waitoa River
  The Waitoa River is a major river of the Waikato Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows initially northeast from its origins at Piarere , before veering north through the Hinurea Flats to pass to the west of Matamata and Waharoa before running through the settlement of Waitoa and reaching...
  
   (NI) - 62 km (38 mi)
• Shotover River
  Shotover River
  The Shotover River is located in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. The name correctly suggests that this 60 kilometre-long river is fast flowing, with numerous rapids...
  
   (SI) - 60 km (37 mi)
• Hutt River
  Hutt River, New Zealand
  thumb|300px|The Hutt River looking downstream.The Hutt River flows through the southern North Island of New Zealand...
  
   (NI) - 56 km (35 mi)
• Ruakituri River
  Ruakituri River
  The Ruakituri River is a river of the Gisborne Region of New Zealand's North Island. A major tributary for the Wairoa River, it initially flows northeast from its sources north of Lake Waikareiti. It turns southeast for the majority of its course , reaching the Wairoa at the settlement of Te...
  
   (NI) - 55 km (34 mi)
• Manganui River, Northland
  Manganui River, Northland
  New Zealand's largest Manganui River is a river of the Northland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It follows a generally westward course from its sources west of Ruakaka before its outflow into the Wairoa River five kilometres east of Dargaville...
  
   (NI) - 53 km (33 mi)
• Whenuakura River
  Whenuakura River
  The Whenuakura River is a river of the Taranaki Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows south from its origins northeast of Lake Rotorangi and reaches the coast five kilometres southeast of Patea.-References:...
  
   (NI) -53 km (33 mi)
• Eglinton River
  Eglinton River
  The Eglinton River is located in the region of Southland in the southwest of New Zealand. It flows through Fiordland National Park for 50 kilometres...
  
   (SI) - 51 km (32 mi)
• Kaituna River
  Kaituna River
  The Kaituna River is located in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the outflow from Lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti, and flows northwards for 45 kilometres, emptying into the Bay of Plenty near Te Puke...
  
   (NI) - 50 km (31 mi) (approx)

Under 50 kilometres

• Freshwater River
  Freshwater River, New Zealand
  The Freshwater River is the longest river on Stewart Island / Rakiura, the third largest of New Zealand's islands. It arises close to the island's northwestern point, from which it is separated by a ridge, and flows southeastward through the Ruggedy Flat for 25 kilometres before reaching the...
  
   (Stewart Island) - 25 km (15 mi) (longest New Zealand river not in the North or South Island)
• Waiwawa River
  Waiwawa River
  The Waiwawa River is the longest river on the Coromandel Peninsula, in the Waikato Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows initially northwest from its sources on the slopes of Mount Rowe before turning northeast to reach the southern end of the Whitianga Harbour.-References:...
  
   - 21 km (13 mi) (longest river on the Coromandel Peninsula
  Coromandel Peninsula
  The Coromandel Peninsula lies in the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Waikato Region and Thames-Coromandel District and extends 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier to protect the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west...
  
  )
• Makara River
  Makara River (Chatham Islands)
  The Makara River is a river in the Chatham Islands of New Zealand. Located in the southeast of Chatham Island, it runs northeast to become a tribuary of the Te Awainanga River, which flows into Te Whanga Lagoon....
  
   (Chatham Island) - 16 km (10 mi) (longest New Zealand river not in New Zealand's main island chain)
• Avon River
  Avon River, Canterbury
  The Avon River flows through the centre of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, and out to an estuary, which it shares with the Heathcote River, the Avon Heathcote Estuary.- Geology :...
  
   (SI) - 15 km (9.5 mi)
• Water of Leith
  Water of Leith, New Zealand
  The Water of Leith , is a small river in the South Island of New Zealand.It rises to the north of the city of Dunedin, flowing for 14 kilometres southeast through the northern part of the city and the campus of the University of Otago before reaching the Otago Harbour...
  
   (SI) - 14 km (9 mi)

See also

• List of rivers of New Zealand
• List of rivers
• List of rivers of Oceania
• List of islands of New Zealand#Islands in rivers and lakes
• List of lakes in New Zealand