Riwaka River
Encyclopedia
The Riwaka River is located in the Nelson region in the northwest of New Zealand
's South Island
. It flows for 20 kilometres, entering Tasman Bay
close to the town of Riwaka
, 10 kilometres north of Motueka
.
The valleys of the Riwaka and nearby Takaka River
form part of the pass over which the only road between Tasman Bay and Golden Bay
runs.
For part of its journey, the river flows underground through limestone
cave
s, returning to the open air at The Riwaka Resurgence. This spot is popular with both holidaymakers and divers
, as the water is always crystal clear, and is very cold even in the heat of mid-summer.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. It flows for 20 kilometres, entering Tasman Bay
Tasman Bay
Tasman Bay is a large V-shaped bay at the north end of New Zealand's South Island. Located in the centre of the island's northern coast, it stretches along of coastline and is across at its widest point. It is an arm of the Tasman Sea, lying on the western approach to Cook Strait.At the bay's...
close to the town of Riwaka
Riwaka
Riwaka is a small town in the north of New Zealand's South Island. It lies beside Tasman Bay, five kilometres north of Motueka, and close to the mouth of the Riwaka River....
, 10 kilometres north of Motueka
Motueka
The town of Motueka in the South Island of New Zealand lies close to the mouth of the Motueka River, on the western shore of Tasman Bay. It is, after Nelson and Richmond, the third largest centre in the Tasman Region, with a population of 7125...
.
The valleys of the Riwaka and nearby Takaka River
Takaka River
The Takaka River lies in the northwest of New Zealand's South Island. It runs north for 70 kilometres, entering Golden Bay near the town of Takaka....
form part of the pass over which the only road between Tasman Bay and Golden Bay
Golden Bay
Golden Bay lies at the edge of the junction between the Tasman Sea and Cook Strait. It stretches for 45 kilometres from the long sand spit of Farewell Spit in the north to Separation Point in Abel Tasman National Park at its southern extremity...
runs.
For part of its journey, the river flows underground through limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s, returning to the open air at The Riwaka Resurgence. This spot is popular with both holidaymakers and divers
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, as the water is always crystal clear, and is very cold even in the heat of mid-summer.