Waingaro River (Waikato)

Waingaro River
Waingaro Landing and mangroves at mouth of Waingaro River
Country	New Zealand
Physical characteristics
Main source	150 m (490 ft)
River mouth	Raglan Harbour 0 m (0 ft)
Length	18 km (11 mi)
Basin features
Basin size	123 km2 (47 sq mi)

The Waingaro River is a river of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows generally southwest from its origins west of Ngaruawahia to reach a northern arm of Raglan Harbour (see 1:50,000 map). Its main tributary is Kahuhuru Stream, which Highway 22 follows for several kilometres. Tributaries total about 170 kilometres (110 mi).

The Waingaro River is one of the largest sources of sediment in Whaingaroa Harbour, partly because it is 99 percent unfenced.

The lower river flows over Puaroan age (about 150 million years ago), blue-grey Puti siltstone.

Waingaro Hot Spring was closed in 2014, until improvements were made and it reopened in 2016. It has dilute alkaline NaCl-type (salty), 37 to 54 °C (99 to 129 °F), thermal water flowing from early Jurassic basement rocks at about 350 litres (92 US gal) per minute, probably originating at least 3 kilometres (2 mi) deep.

In 1921 this description was given:

Waingaro/ on the coach-road from Ngaruawhahia to the west coast, has waters of the most strictly simple 'thermal' type, containing only 22 grains of solids to the gallon. It is not a 'spa,' though it is used locally and had at one time a great reputation among the Maoris. The outflow of water is very large and the temperature high. There is a large simple immersion bath, with hotel accommodation alongside.

ANALYSIS Grains per gallon.

In 1942 a corrugated iron shelter, which had covered the spring on the north side of the road, was swept away by a flood. After that the hot water was piped under the road and the present complex of baths built.

The narrow, 2 km (1.2 mi) gravel road from Ohautira Rd to the boat ramp and whitebait stands at Waingaro Landing now sees little traffic, but was once much more important.

Just south of the point where the Waingaro joins the Kerikeri River, there is a record of Waingaro Landing being used by Rev A N Brown in 1834 to travel from Bay of Islands to Kawhia. Little changed for another half century.