Whangaparaoa

The Whangaparaoa River is the largest of the East Cape rivers and has its headwaters in the Gisborne District.  The upper catchment is dominated by hill country farms and a small floodplain at Matarau where the braided channel reaches over 120 metres in width.  The river then winds through steep forested hill country before emerging at the coastal floodplain where it travels for approximately 5 km before reaching the ocean.