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16 unusual facts about Waikato River


Amarinus lacustris

In New Zealand, A. lacustris is the only freshwater crab, and is found in a variety of habitats, including lakes, slow-flowing streams and larger rivers, including the lower reaches of the Waikato River.

Atiamuri

Atiamuri Power Station is a hydroelectric power station on the Waikato River owned by Mighty River Power.

Fairfield, Waikato

Fairfield Bridge crosses the Waikato River and connects Fairfield with suburbs west of the river.

Glen Afton Branch

The first 5 km was authorised in 1910, and required a road-rail bridge over the Waikato River, with an extension which carried the railway over the main highway.

Hamilton Gardens

Hamilton Gardens is located between the bank of the Waikato River and State Highway 1.

Hongi Hika

In early 1822 he led his force up the Waikato River where, after initial success, he was defeated by Te Wherowhero, before gaining another victory at Orongokoekoea.

Lindsay Tisch

The electorate was named after a little-known river past Morrinsville, and Tisch was successful in lobbying to have the electorate renamed after the Waikato River.

Manukau Harbour

The harbour mouth is between the northern head ("Burnett Head" / "Ohaka Head") located at the southern end of the Waitakere Ranges and South Head at the end of the long Awhitu Peninsula reaching up from close to the mouth of the Waikato River.

Mighty River Power

The company owns and operates the hydroelectric generating stations on the Waikato River as well as geothermal plants in the Taupo area, the gas fired (combined cycle) Southdown plant in south Auckland and the largely unused plant (Marsden A and Marsden B) at Marsden Point near Whangarei.

Mount Taupiri

It is separated from the Hākarimata Range to the south by the Taupiri Gorge, through which the Waikato River flows from the Waikato Basin to the Lower Waikato.

Pat Hannan

The race for the Australasian title was, unusually, held on the Waikato River on 26 October over a course of three and a quarter miles.

Skycity Entertainment Group

It is part of the Riverside Centre on the Waikato River, which includes bars, restaurants, ten-pin bowling and Mega Zone all operated under the Skycity company.

Southdown Power Station

Southdown is also extensively used during dry periods, when there is insufficient water to run Mighty River Power's eight hydroelectric power stations on the Waikato River at full capacity.

St. Peter's Cathedral, Hamilton

On the opposite side of the Waikato River over the Victoria Bridge is the Roman Catholic cathedral, the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Taupiri

Taupiri is a small township of about 450 people on the eastern bank of the Waikato River in the Waikato District of New Zealand.

Taupo railway proposals

The TTT Co line then went onwards south of Lichfield through what are now Tokoroa and Kinleith and crossed the Waikato River at Ongaroto.


Trevor Chute

In 1861 Chute and his regiment arrived in New Zealand, where they helped construct the military road from Drury to the Waikato River.