{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2019}} {{coord|37.453398|S|175.753441|E|display=title}} {{Infobox river | name = Waitawheta River | image = Waitawheta River.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = Waitawheta River at Waitawheta Gorge | source1_location = Kaimai Range | mouth_location = Ohinemuri River | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = New Zealand | length = {{convert|17|km|mi}} | source1_elevation = | mouth_elevation = {{convert|38|m|ft|0}} | discharge1_avg = | basin_size = }} The '''Waitawheta River''' is a river of the Waikato Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows from a point south-east of Mount Te Aroha in the Kaimai Range to the Karangahake Gorge at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula to reach the Ohinemuri River at Karangahake, five kilometres east of Paeroa.
After skirting the small settlement of Waitawheta, the river flows through the increasingly narrow Waitawheta Gorge before reaching the Karangahake Gorge. From the Karangahake end, several spectacular walks<ref name="DOC_BROCHURE">{{cite web|url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/waikato/karangahake-gorge-brochure.pdf|title=Karangahake Gorge Brochure|publisher=Department of Conservation NZ|access-date=2014-08-20}}</ref> lead into the gorge - the "Windows Walk"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/bay-of-plenty/tauranga/karangahake-windows-walk/|title=Windows Walk: Karangahake Gorge|publisher=Department of Conservation NZ|access-date=2014-08-20}}</ref> through mining tunnels in the cliff face high above the river, the Crown Tramway Track (partly carved into the rock), and the Crown Track (also referred to as the Waitawheta Pipeline Walk),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap/nz860/Waitawheta-River/Waikato|title=New Zealand Topographic Map|publisher=LINZ|access-date=2014-08-20}}</ref> which leads further into the gorge and to the Dickey Flat campsite. The Dickey Flat campsite is also accessible via Dickey Flat Road.
==Mining== The confluence of the Waitawheta River and the Ohinemuri River used to be the centre of the gold mining industry in the Karangahake Gorge area, with the water of the Waitawheta River used for powering stamping batteries. Tailings from the Talisman Mine in the Waitawheta Gorge were tipped out into the gorge via windows at the ends of the mining tunnels. These tunnels and windows are now partly accessible via the Windows Walk, as is the Woodstock Underground Pumphouse on the river's true left and further into the gorge. Remnants of the mining tram tracks are still visible in many places, while only the foundations of the stamping battery buildings remain. At the height of the mining activity around the start of the 1900s, the Talisman mining operation included 50 stampers and buildings on both sides of the Waitawheta Gorge.<ref name="DOC_BROCHURE"/>
== Geology == The whole basin is within the Coromandel Volcanic Zone. The river runs mainly over Pliocene rocks, rising on the Kaimai Subgroup of andesite and dacite intrusions, lava flows, breccias and ignimbrite, then through some of the lake deposited Romanga Formation, before reaching the slightly older Waiwawa Subgroup, composed of rocks similar to the Kaimai, but often with mineral-rich hydrothermal alteration.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://shop.gns.cri.nz/qauckland-zip/|title=Geology of the Auckland area : scale 1:250,000 Digital Download|website=GNS Online Shop|language=en|access-date=2017-08-26}}</ref>
Waitawheta Quarry (east of the river, near the bush boundary)<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.hgleach.co.nz/better-roading/quarry-operations/waitewheta-quarry/|title=Waitawheta Quarry|work=Leach|access-date=2017-08-26|language=en-US}}</ref> was, in 2008, producing over 100,000 tonnes a year of andesite for aggregate.<ref>{{Cite book|title=SCIENCE REPORT 2008/14 - Mineral resource assessment of the Thames-Coromandel and Hauraki districts|last=A B Christie, R L Brathwaite, R G Barker|publisher=GNS|year=2008}}</ref>
In 2017 there were protests against New Talisman Gold Mines' plans for mining on the Talisman site at Karangahake.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://protectkarangahake.org.nz/background/|title=Background|date=2016-11-23|work=Protect Karangahake|access-date=2017-08-26|language=en-US}}</ref>
== Wildlife == A 2015 survey, on the edge of the bush, found Potamopyrgus, Shortfin and Longfin eels, Common bully, Banded kokopu, Brown trout and Koura, with a 134.2 'excellent' MCI score.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/assets/WRC/Services/publications/technical-reports/2016/TR201626.pdf|title=Technical Report 2016/26 - Waihou and Piako ecological monitoring|date=2015|website=Waikato Regional Council}}</ref> Just prior to that, efforts had been made to reduce goat numbers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/assets/PageFiles/46250/5.7-Pest-Management-Plan-Annual-Report-2013-14.pdf|title=Policy Series 2014/06 - Waikato Regional Pest Management Plan Annual report 2013/14|website=Waikato Regional Council}}</ref> A 1924 report said that a shag colony near the headwaters had been destroyed by sawmill workers, wanting to increase trout numbers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WHDT19241216.2.8|title=Waihi Daily Telegraph, 1924-12-16|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz National Library of New Zealand|language=en|access-date=2017-08-26}}</ref> thumb|1923 sawmill being restored in 2017
== Logging == The lower part of the valley was exploited for gold, the upper part for timber. From 1898 to 1928<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/bay-of-plenty/places/kaimai-mamaku-forest-park/things-to-do/tracks/waitawheta-tramway/|title=Waitawheta Tramway|website=Department of Conservation|language=en|access-date=2017-08-25}}</ref> the Waihi Gold Mining Co,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OG19090219.2.14|title=TIMBER DAM. (Ohinemuri Gazette, 1909-02-19)|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz National Library of New Zealand|language=en|access-date=2017-08-25}}</ref> then the Kauri Timber Co,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OG19100304.2.14|title=KAURI TIMBER. (Ohinemuri Gazette, 1910-03-04)|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz National Library of New Zealand|language=en|access-date=2017-08-25}}</ref> and, finally, the Waitawheta Sawmilling Co, from 1923, used a {{Convert|19|km|mi|abbr=on}}, {{Convert|825|mm|ft in|abbr=on}} gauge<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/conservation/historic/topics/rail-heritage-factsheet.pdf|title=Rail Heritage managed by the Department of Conservation|date=June 2007}}</ref> (or {{Track gauge|5ft3in|lk=on}})<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.trainweb.org/loggingz/price.html|title=Price Rail Tractors|website=www.trainweb.org|access-date=2017-08-26}}</ref> tramway to the East Coast Main Trunk near Owharoa,<ref name=":1" /> to remove 9 million feet (rather more than 2,000 trees) of mostly kauri logs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WHDT19280207.2.6|title=Waihi Daily Telegraph, 1928-02-07|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz National Library of New Zealand|language=en|access-date=2017-08-25}}</ref> Milling ended in 1928 when nearly all the trees had been removed and the tramway was then dismantled.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WHDT19270707.2.18|title=TIMBER GETTING AT WAITAWHETA (Waihi Daily Telegraph, 1927-07-07)|website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz National Library of New Zealand|language=en|access-date=2017-08-25}}</ref> Since 2006, most of the 8 bridges over the river have been replaced by suspension bridges for walkers<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/133538/Bridge-gives-access-to-history|title=Bridge gives access to history|website=Stuff|access-date=2017-08-26}}</ref> along the remaining 14 km upper part of the tramway.<ref name=":0" /> Waitawheta Hut was moved<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/getting-involved/consultations/consultations-results/bop-results.pdf|title=Bay of Plenty Conservancy recreation opportunities review|date=October 2004}}</ref> in 2004<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/venue/waitawheta-bush-tramway-katikati|title=Waitawheta Bush Tramway|website=Eventfinda|language=en|access-date=2017-08-26}}</ref> to the site of the Waitawheta Sawmill,<ref name=":0" /> just above the Toilet Bowl waterfall.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://waterfalls.co.nz/waterfalls-by-region/87-new-zealand-waterfalls/north-island/waikato/243-toilet-bowl-waterfall|title=Toilet Bowl Waterfall|website=waterfalls.co.nz|language=en-gb|access-date=2017-08-26}}</ref>
The 1913 Horahora to Waihi 50kV<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/documents/science-and-technical/sap246entire.pdf|title=Archaeology of the Bay of Plenty|last=Law|first=Garry|date=June 2008|website=Department of Conservation}}</ref> power line also passed through the valley.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mapspast.org.nz/?zoom=14&x=1845696&y=5848068&layerid=NZMS15%201949|title=MapsPast {{!}} Current and historical topographic maps of New Zealand|website=www.mapspast.org.nz|access-date=2017-08-26}}</ref> It was removed for scrap during World War 2.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ohinemuri.org.nz/journals/56-journal-28-september-1984/1092-historic-trails-waitawheta|title=Ohinemuri - Historic Trails - Waitawheta|website=www.ohinemuri.org.nz|language=en-gb|access-date=2017-08-26}}</ref>
==See also== *List of rivers of New Zealand *Karangahake Gorge
==References== {{LINZ|id=|name=Waitawheta River|accessdate=12 July 2009}} {{reflist}}
Category:Thames-Coromandel District Category:Rivers of Waikato Category:Rivers of New Zealand Category:Hauraki Gulf catchment