The Hoteo River is a river of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It flows southwest from its sources close to the North Auckland Peninsula's east coast before emptying into the southern lobe of the Kaipara Harbour.

Hoteo River
The Hoteo River as it reaches the Mangakura Inlet.
Location
Country	New Zealand
Physical characteristics
Mouth
• location	Kaipara Harbour
Length	28 km (17 mi)
Basin size	405 km2 (156 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	11 m3/s (390 cu ft/s)

Description

The headwaters of the Hoteo River is the Waitapu Stream that starts within 5 km of the East Coast and the system drains out into the West Coast of Northland. The Hoteo forms at the confluence of the Whangaripo and Waiwhiu streams.[1]

State Highway 1 crosses the river at Wayby, south of Wellsford and State Highway 16 crosses the river near Mangakura where it discharges into the Kaipara Harbour. The North Auckland Rail Line crosses the Hoteo river 3 times within 1.5 km; to the north of Kaipara Flats.

The lower reaches of the river are popular with whitebaiters and recreational fishermen and the river also hosts the annual Hoteo River Raft Race, a no-holds-barred event.

Geology

The river is an antecedent drainage stream. The river began flowing when the surrounding lands were a low-lying plain. Over time, the surrounding land was uplifted, but the Hoteo River retained the same course, creating a gorge through the uplifting rock.[2]

History

The Hoteo River was a traditional rohe (border) marker for the iwi (tribe) Ngāti Manuhiri's northernmost lands.[3]

See also

• List of rivers of New Zealand

References

"Place name detail: Hoteo River". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 14 June 2021.

External links

• Building railway bridge and Tauhoa Tunnel in 1906
• Flood in 1907
• River crossing in 1907
• Hoteo River in 1911