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
Crooked River (New Zealand) available for trampers along the Crooked River. Crooked River (New Zealand) Crooked River is a river that flows from headwaters in the Southern Alps to Lake Brunner in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. It is named for the erratic path it takes. Near Lake Brunner, it passes through reasonably flat farmland, but closer to its source, it rushes through gorges and rapids. One tributary is the Poerua River from Lake Poerua. Fishers visit Crooked River to catch trout. The river is also used by canoeists. Recently, there has been a minor silt build-up in the river's