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
Freshwater River Freshwater River 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 before reaching the Paterson Inlet on the island's central east coast. The Freshwater is the longest New Zealand river not to be located in either of the country's two main islands. The river's catchment dominates much of the island's north, forming a wide swampy basin that covers some (almost a tenth of the island's total