Ruamahanga River

The Ruamahanga River runs through the southeastern North Island of New Zealand.

Ruamahanga River
The Ruamahanga River system
Location
Country	New Zealand
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Mount Dundas, Tararua Ranges
• elevation	1,504 m (4,934 ft)
Mouth
• location	Palliser Bay, Cook Strait
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	124 km (77 mi)
Basin size	3,470 km2 (1,340 sq mi)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Tauweru River
• right	Waipoua River, Waingawa River, Waiohine River, Lake Wairarapa outlet

The river's headwaters are in the Tararua Ranges northwest of Masterton. From there it runs firstly south and then southwest for 130 kilometres (81 mi) before emptying into the Cook Strait. The towns of Masterton and Martinborough are close to the banks of the river. It is joined by many other rivers, including the Tauweru River near Gladstone.[1]

In its lower reaches, the river meanders across a large floodplain, culminating in the wetlands around the edges of Lake Wairarapa. The river once flowed into the lake, but has now been diverted. The river drains at Palliser Bay 10 kilometres (6 mi) further south.

The river has now become generally polluted from sewage and farming that prevents people from swimming in the river or its tributaries.[2]