Waiho River

River in New Zealand

43°26′59″S 170°10′32″E / 43.4497°S 170.1755°E / -43.4497; 170.1755 MouthTasman Sea

• coordinates

43°17′11″S 170°03′03″E / 43.2863°S 170.0509°E / -43.2863; 170.0509Length25 km (16 mi)Basin featuresProgressionFranz Josef Glacier → Waiho River → Tasman SeaRiver systemWaiho RiverTributaries • leftTrident Creek, Dolly Creek, Callery River, Docherty Creek • rightRope Creek, Arch Creek, Hugh Creek, Duck Creek, Park Creek, Tatare Stream

The Waiho River (traditionally the Waiau River^[1]) is a river of the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. It is fed by the meltwater of the Franz Josef Glacier and skirts the main township of Franz Josef to its south, where its river bed is crossed by SH 6 on a long single-lane bridge. Due to changes in rainfall and snow melt, the river's water flow varies greatly. In a severe rain storm on 26 March 2019, the bridge was destroyed after 400 millimetres (16 in) of rain had fallen.^[2] The bridge and one abutment was rebuilt, and the road link reopened after 18 days. The works cost NZ$6m.^[3]

Waiho River merges with Docherty Creek just before reaching the Tasman Sea 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) southwest of Ōkārito.

Gallery

The origin of the river is at Franz Josef Glacier
The Waiho River flows through the town of Franz Josef, passing features such as the St James Church
The rise of the Waiho River bed between 1936 and 2018
The Waiho Bridge was destroyed in 2019

References

^ Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. "Whenua". Retrieved 14 June 2019.
^ Gorman, Paul; Guildford, Jonathan; Kitchin, Tom (26 March 2019). "State of emergency on West Coast as heavy rain batters region, wipes out bridge". Stuff. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
^ Guildford, Jonathan (2 May 2019). "West Coast's Waiho River bridge to close at night as final construction begins". The Press. p. 3. Retrieved 3 May 2019.

"Place name detail: Waiho River". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 12 July 2009.

Westland Tai Poutini National Park, New Zealand

Mountains

Mount Dampier
Douglas Peak
Mount Elie de Beaumont
Mount Haast
Mount Hicks
La Perouse
Lendenfeld Peak
The Minarets
Mount Sefton
Silberhorn
Mount Tasman
Mount Teichelmann
Torres Peak
Mount Vancouver

Mountain passes

Copland Pass

Glaciers

Agassiz Glacier
Douglas Glacier
Fox Glacier
Franz Josef Glacier

Lakes

Rivers

Lagoons

Ōkārito Lagoon

Walking tracks

Huts

Chancellor Hut

Reserves and World Heritage Sites

Events

2015 Fox Glacier helicopter crash

v t e Landforms of Westland District, New Zealand
Alpine passes	Arthur's Pass Browning Pass / Nōti Raureka Copland Pass Haast Pass
Bays	Bruce Bay Jackson Bay
Canyons, gorges and waterfalls	Fantail Falls Gates of Haast Hokitika Gorge Otira Gorge Roaring Billy Falls Thunder Creek Falls
Glaciers	Agassiz Glacier Douglas Glacier Fox Glacier Franz Josef Glacier Garden of Eden Ice Plateau Olivine Ice Plateau Volta Glacier
Headlands	Abut Head Awarua Point Gillespies Point Knights Point
Islands	Open Bay Islands
Lakes and lagoons	Abel Lake Alpine Lake / Ata Puai Lake Ellery Lake Gault Lake Ianthe Lake Kaniere Lake Mahinapua Lake Mapourika Lake Matheson Lake Moeraki Ōkārito Lagoon Lake Paringa Saltwater Lagoon Lake Wahapo
Mountain ranges	Butler Range Southern Alps
Mountains	Mount Adams Aoraki / Mount Cook Mount Aspiring / Tititea Mount Brewster Mount Dampier Mount Graham Mount Haast Mount Hopkins La Perouse Lendenfeld Peak Mount Rolleston Mount Sefton Silberhorn Mount Tasman Mount Vancouver Mount Whitcombe
River flats	Pleasant Flat
Rivers	Adams River Arahura River Arawhata River Balfour River Barlow River Barn River Bettne River Big Wainihinihi River Burke River Butler River Callery River Cascade River Clarke River Clearwater River Cook River / Weheka Copland River Cropp River Deception River Donald River Douglas River Drake River Duncan River Edison River Fork River Fox River Gorge River Gunn River Haast River Hacket River Hall River Hapuka River Harman River Hinatua River Hokitika River Hope River Jackson River Jerry River Kaniere River Karangarua River Kokatahi River Lambert River Landsborough River Lord River Macfarlane River Mahitahi River Jacobs River Manakaiaua River Maori River Martyr River Mikonui River Moeraki River Morse River Mueller River Mungo River Ngatau River North Barlow River Ohinemaka River Ōhinetamatea River Ōkārito River Okuru River Ōmoeroa River Oneone River Otehake River Ōtira River Ōtoko River Paringa River Perth River Poerua River Rolleston River Rotokino River Ruera River Ship Creek Smoothwater River Smyth River Spoon River Stafford River Strauchon River Styx River Taipo River Taramakau River Te Naihi River Te Rahotaiepa River Toaroha River Tōtara River Totarakaitorea River Troyte River Tuke River Turnbull River Waiatoto River Waiho River Waikūkūpa River Waipara River Waita River Waitaha River Waitangitāhuna River Waitangiroto River Wanganui River Whakaikai River Whakapohai River Whataroa River Whitcombe River Wilkinson River Willberg River Williamson River Wills River