Tutaekuri River

Tutaekuri River
Origin	Kaweka Ranges
Mouth	Heretaunga Plains
Basin countries	New Zealand
Length	99.9km
Source elevation	759m
Mouth elevation	Sea Level

The Tutaekuri River flows through the Hawke's Bay Region of the eastern North Island of New Zealand. It flows east from the Kaweka Range, reaching the Pacific Ocean just to the south of Napier and Taradale, where the Ngaruroro and Clive Rivers join it. Starting roughly 50 kilometers north east of Taihape, the Tutaekuri River flows for a distance of 99.9 kilometers.

Ngāti Paarau, which is the local hapū (sub-tribe) are said to have disposed of their waste food in this river. Tribes such as Ngāti Pahauwera travelled to this river to share food and trade.

Redirection

Up until 1931, the the lowest part of the Tutaekuri River flowed north, following its original channel (the location of present-day Taradale) and into Ahuriri Harbour. In the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, the land underneath Ahuriri Harbour was drastically raised. The river was forced to seek an alternative route and started to back up, and so the residents of Hawke's Bay dug out a new, alternate path connecting it to the Ngaruroro River, into which it still flows today.