The Waipara River is a river in the South Island of New Zealand. The river is about 40 kilometres (25 mi) long, and its catchment area is 726 square kilometres (280 sq mi).
The river passes through the small town of Waipara on its 45-kilometre (28 mi) southeastward journey to the Pacific Ocean at the Northern end of Pegasus Bay.
A smaller Waipara River also drains from the Bonar Glacier on Mount Aspiring before joining the Arawhata River and flowing northwest into the Tasman Sea near Jackson Bay.
Coordinates: 43°09′06″S 172°47′59″E / 43.1516°S 172.7998°E