Waiau Uwha River

Waiau Uwha River, previously known as the Waiau River, is a river in north Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand. The Waiau Uwha River rises in the Spenser Mountains and flows eastward to the Pacific Ocean. The Waiau Uwha River has the second largest catchment—3,310 square kilometres (1,280 sq mi)—of North Canterbury's rivers.[1]

The Waiau river in November 2015

Waiau Uwha
Waiau Uwha River upstream from the Waiau Ferry Bridge, near Hanmer Springs
Waiau River system
Location
Country	New Zealand
Region	Canterbury
District	Hurunui
City	Hanmer Springs, Waiau, Parnassus
Physical characteristics
Source	Southern Alps
• location	Spenser Mountains, New Zealand
• coordinates	42°6′39″S 172°38′42″E
Mouth	Pacific Ocean
• location	New Zealand
• coordinates	42°46′40″S 173°22′19″E
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Basin size	3,310 km2 (1,280 sq mi)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Stanley River, Edwards River, Grantham River, Percival River, Hanmer River, Mason River, Stanton River, Leader River
• right	Ada River, Henry River, Hope River

In 2018, the name of the river was officially changed from Waiau River to Waiau Uwha River, to reflect its original Māori name,[2] and to distinguish it from the longer Waiau River in the southern South Island.