Rivers of New Zealand Rivers of New Zealand The rivers of New Zealand are used for a variety of purposes and face a number of environmental issues. Many of the rivers in the South Island are braided rivers. The longest river in New Zealand is the Waikato River with a length of . The largest river by volume is the Clutha River with a mean discharge of . Some of the rivers, especially those with wide flood plains and stop banks, have long road bridges spanning them. The Rakaia River is crossed by the longest bridge in New Zealand at . The third longest
Hutt River (New Zealand) Hutt River (New Zealand) The Hutt River (Māori:"Te Awakairangi", "Te Wai o Orutu" or "Heretaunga") flows through the southern North Island of New Zealand. It flows south-west from the southern Tararua Range for , forming a number of fertile floodplains, including Kaitoke, central Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt. The headwaters in the Kaitoke Regional Park are closed to preserve the quality of the drinking water drawn off at Kaitoke to supply the greater Wellington area. Below Kaitoke is the Kaitoke Gorge, a popular destination for rafting. Below the gorge is Te Marua, where the Mangaroa River joins the Hutt from