Retaruke River
River in New Zealand
title: "Retaruke River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-manawatū-whanganui", "rivers-of-new-zealand", "tributaries-of-the-whanganui-river", "whanganui-national-park"] description: "River in New Zealand" topic_path: "geography/new-zealand" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retaruke_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary River in New Zealand ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Retaruke River |
| native_name | mi |
| image | Retaruke River from Whakahoro Bridge.jpg |
| image_size | 300px |
| image_caption | The Retaruke River from Lacy's Bridge in Whakahoro |
| map | |
| subdivision_type1 | Country |
| subdivision_name1 | New Zealand |
| subdivision_type2 | Region |
| subdivision_name2 | Manawatū-Whanganui |
| subdivision_type3 | District |
| subdivision_name3 | Ruapehu |
| subdivision_type4 | Settlements |
| subdivision_name4 | Kaitieke, Whakahoro |
| length | 64 km |
| source1 | Erua Forest |
| source1_location | 2km south west of National Park |
| source1_coordinates | |
| source1_elevation | 870 m |
| mouth | Whanganui River |
| mouth_location | Whakahoro |
| mouth_coordinates | |
| mouth_elevation | 110 m |
| progression | Retaruke River → Whanganui River |
| river_system | Whanganui River |
| tributaries_left | Mangaopatuerua Stream, Tarata Stream, Taurimu Stream, Morinui Stream, Oruru Stream, Poururu Stream, Takapa Stream, Pukupuku Stream |
| tributaries_right | Tupapakurua Stream, Kauhangaroa Stream, Kaitieke Stream, Kawautahi Stream, Makokomiko Stream, Mangaorakei Stream, Orupe Stream, Makoura Stream, Papapotu Stream, Omaruroa Stream, Tapuae Stream |
| :: |
| name = Retaruke River | native_name =mi | name_other = | name_etymology = | nickname = | image = Retaruke River from Whakahoro Bridge.jpg | image_size = 300px | image_caption = The Retaruke River from Lacy's Bridge in Whakahoro | image_alt = | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | map_alt = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= | pushpin_map_alt = | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = New Zealand | subdivision_type2 = Region | subdivision_name2 = Manawatū-Whanganui | subdivision_type3 = District | subdivision_name3 = Ruapehu | subdivision_type4 = Settlements | subdivision_name4 = Kaitieke, Whakahoro | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = | length = 64 km | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = | discharge1_max = | source1 = Erua Forest | source1_location = 2km south west of National Park | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = 870 m | mouth = Whanganui River | mouth_location = Whakahoro | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 110 m | progression = Retaruke River → Whanganui River | river_system = Whanganui River | basin_size = | basin_landmarks = | basin_population = | tributaries_left = Mangaopatuerua Stream, Tarata Stream, Taurimu Stream, Morinui Stream, Oruru Stream, Poururu Stream, Takapa Stream, Pukupuku Stream | tributaries_right = Tupapakurua Stream, Kauhangaroa Stream, Kaitieke Stream, Kawautahi Stream, Makokomiko Stream, Mangaorakei Stream, Orupe Stream, Makoura Stream, Papapotu Stream, Omaruroa Stream, Tapuae Stream | waterbodies = | waterfalls = | bridges = | ports = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = The Retaruke River is a river in the North Island of New Zealand. It joins with the Whanganui River at Whakahoro just above Wade's Landing and downstream from Taumarunui. The river flows through the farming communities of Upper and then Lower Retaruke Valley. Downstream from this junction is the Mangapurua Landing with its Bridge to Nowhere, servicing the ill-fated Mangapurua Valley farming community.
Sources
The river source is located 2 km south west of National Park in the Erua Forest. The river initially flows south west through the forest before bending to flow north west. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Retaruke_River_gorge_at_Ngamoturiki.jpg" caption="Retaruke River gorge at Ngamoturiki"] ::
Geology
Most of the valley is made up of Early Miocene Mahoenui Group rocks. About 65,000 years ago movement of the Waimarino Fault probably allowed capture of the Waimarino Stream and/or Makatote River by the Manganuiateao River, which would have reduced erosion by ending the incidence of lahars and reducing flows in the Retaruke River.
Coal was discovered in 1909 in the Late Miocene Whangamomona Group. During the 1960s and 1970s, an opencast coal mine operated at the top end of Retaruke Road. Between 1938 and 1984 it produced about 3,000 tons of coal.
Upper Retaruke valley community
1 kilometre up the Upper Retaruke Valley road is the location of the annual Kaitieke Collie club sheepdog trials. Next is the location of a "Victory Hall". Further up the valley there was a coal mine, and it was along the upper Retaruke river that fossil whalebones were found by Ken McNaught.
Lower Retaruke valley community
Portions of the Lower Retaruke Valley were settled about 1900 by government run farm ballot. Other portions were independently purchased from the Māori community. The land was then cleared, grassed, and sheep flocks herded in from Raurimu to stock the hills.
The valley previously had a tiny Mangaroa Primary School(). At a location further up there still remain the community hall and sports field, here there are annual children's Christmas parties, occasional Dances/Social and the annual Retaruke Easter Sports Day are run.
Access to the Valley is via three main roads: Oio Road, Kawautahi Road or the Raurimu-Kaitieke Road from Raurimu. However, on foot the valley can be accessed via the old Mangapurua Road, or by jetboat or via the Whanganui River. (Other access routes such as the Kokako Road & Kuotoroa East Road (to Ruatiti), Te Mata Road from Whakahoro to Taumarunui have long since been abandoned. Some of these roads were examples of pack horse tracks that were expanded to roads during the Great Depression 1930s as job creation schemes.)
Historically, the wealth of the valley has come from the production of wool. Early on there were also some small dairy farms producing cream/"butterfat" for the Kaitieke dairy factory that was located in Piriaka near Taumarunui.
Reserves
The Retaruke valley has several scenic reserves. Hautonu 9 acre, Papapotu 28 acre, Ngataumata 7 acre, Ngamoturiki 12 acre and Rotokahu 312 acre were gazetted in 1913 and Ngamoturiki 12.5857 ha in 1979. The original vegetation was mainly rimu, rāta, tawa, hīnau, rewarewa, hard beech, and kāmahi. Since about 1960, many kāmahi around the headwaters of the river have died. The highest and steepest hills in the Retaruke catchment have residual tawa-dominated stands or secondary growth of kāmahi and some kānuka and rewarewa. The rest of the valley was largely converted from native bush to pasture in about 40 years from the 1880s.
Tributaries
::data[format=table]
| Tributary Name | Length (km) | km From Mouth | Confluence Coordinates | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Near Erua Road | River source | |||
| Kawautahi Stream | ||||
| Whanganui River | River Mouth | 0 km | ||
| :: |
Climate
|metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Lower Retaruke (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1966–present) | Jan record high C = 31.5 | Feb record high C = 33.1 | Mar record high C = 30.2 | Apr record high C = 26.1 | May record high C = 23.2 | Jun record high C = 20.6 | Jul record high C = 19.6 | Aug record high C = 21.7 | Sep record high C = 25.2 | Oct record high C = 26.1 | Nov record high C = 29.5 | Dec record high C = 32.3 | year record high C = | Jan avg record high C = 28.4 | Feb avg record high C = 28.7 | Mar avg record high C = 26.5 | Apr avg record high C = 23.0 | May avg record high C = 19.8 | Jun avg record high C = 17.0 | Jul avg record high C = 15.9 | Aug avg record high C = 16.9 | Sep avg record high C = 19.5 | Oct avg record high C = 22.0 | Nov avg record high C = 24.0 | Dec avg record high C = 26.6 | year avg record high C = 30.0 | Jan high C = 24.0 | Feb high C = 24.3 | Mar high C = 22.0 | Apr high C = 18.6 | May high C = 15.6 | Jun high C = 12.9 | Jul high C = 12.6 | Aug high C = 13.4 | Sep high C = 15.3 | Oct high C = 17.1 | Nov high C = 19.4 | Dec high C = 21.8 | year high C = | Jan mean C = 17.7 | Feb mean C = 18.0 | Mar mean C = 15.7 | Apr mean C = 13.1 | May mean C = 10.5 | Jun mean C = 8.2 | Jul mean C = 7.6 | Aug mean C = 8.4 | Sep mean C = 10.3 | Oct mean C = 12.1 | Nov mean C = 13.7 | Dec mean C = 16.3 | year mean C = | Jan low C = 11.5 | Feb low C = 11.7 | Mar low C = 9.4 | Apr low C = 7.5 | May low C = 5.4 | Jun low C = 3.6 | Jul low C = 2.7 | Aug low C = 3.5 | Sep low C = 5.4 | Oct low C = 7.0 | Nov low C = 8.1 | Dec low C = 10.8 | year low C = | Jan avg record low C = 4.3 | Feb avg record low C = 4.7 | Mar avg record low C = 2.2 | Apr avg record low C = 0.0 | May avg record low C = -1.4 | Jun avg record low C = -3.1 | Jul avg record low C = -3.9 | Aug avg record low C = -2.9 | Sep avg record low C = -1.6 | Oct avg record low C = -0.4 | Nov avg record low C = 1.0 | Dec avg record low C = 3.8 | year avg record low C = -4.4 |Jan record low C = 0.3 |Feb record low C = 0.2 |Mar record low C = -2.0 |Apr record low C = -3.2 |May record low C = -4.6 |Jun record low C = -6.4 |Jul record low C = -6.5 |Aug record low C = -5.3 |Sep record low C = -4.2 |Oct record low C = -3.3 |Nov record low C = -1.0 |Dec record low C = 0.3 |year record low C = |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 93.6 |Feb rain mm = 99.4 |Mar rain mm = 88.2 |Apr rain mm = 123.4 |May rain mm = 133.7 |Jun rain mm = 137.7 |Jul rain mm = 153.7 |Aug rain mm = 162.4 |Sep rain mm = 154.9 |Oct rain mm = 145.0 |Nov rain mm = 126.2 |Dec rain mm = 145.9 |year rain mm = |source 1 = NIWA |url = http://cliflo.niwa.co.nz |title = CliFlo – National Climate Database : Lower Retaruke Cws |publisher = NIWA |access-date = 20 May 2024}}{{cite web |url = https://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/ |title = CliFlo -The National Climate Database (Agent numbers: 2333, 37850) |publisher = NIWA |access-date = 13 Sep 2024}}
References
References
- "Retaruke River, Manawatu-Wanganui".
- (1998). "Quaternary lahar stratigraphy of the western Ruapehu ring plain". New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics.
- (1910). "AtoJs Online — Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives — 1910 Session I — C-09 NEW ZEALAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT (NEW SERIES) OF THE).".
- Hay, R. F.. (1965). "Coal measures in the upper Retaruke Valley". New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics.
- (1977). "1:63360 map Sheet: N111 Waimarino".
- Steve Edbrooke. (1998). "Mineral Commodity Report 18".
- (22 May 1913). "New Zealand Gazette".
- (25 Oct 1979). "New Zealand Gazette".
- (March 2010). "Bibliography of plant checklists for areas in Whanganui Conservancy".
- (June 2001). "Newsletter".
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