Waitahanui River

The Waitahanui River is a river in the North Island of New Zealand.

Location

The Waitahanui River is one of the three main rivers that flow into Lake Taupo (the others being the Tongariro River and the Taupo-Tauranga River). The Waitahanui flows out of the foothills of the Kaimanawa Ranges and is crossed by State Highway 1 as the river passes through the township of Waitahanui, before entering Lake Taupo.

Fishing

The Waitahanui is a popular fishing stream, and during the winter months Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout run up the river to spawn. The Waitahanui Rivermouth is also the location of the 'Picket Fence', which often sees anglers standing shoulder to shoulder up to their chest across the rivermouth, trying to catch trout as they move out of the lake.

Public access disputes

In recent years there has been elevated tension between local Māori and anglers over access to the river. Under the agreement that currently exists, licensed anglers have a right-of-way across privately owned land of 20 metres from the legal limit of the riverbank. Some local landowners do not agree with this, and this has resulted in some confrontations between anglers and landowners.

External links

* [http://www.doc.govt.nz/Regional-Info/007~Tongariro-Taupo/005~Publications/003~Other-Publications/Target-Taupo-40/002~Waitahanui-River-Access.asp River access from the New Zealand Department of Conservation]
* [http://superfly.co.nz/maps/waitahanui.html A map of the river]