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
External links
★
Puke Ariki - Shooting Up The Mokau River
★
Puke Ariki - Mokau River Holds Stories of Past