WAIAU RIVER

formerly Waiau-ua, or Dillon, river in eastern South Island, New Zealand. It rises in the Spenser Mountains and flows south and east for 105 miles (169 km) to enter the Pacific Ocean, 6 miles (10 km) northeast of Cheviot. Its generally hilly drainage basin, 1,270 square miles (3,290 square km) in area, borders the Canterbury Plains to the south. Towns in the river's valley, including Waiau and Parnassus, are market centres for the livestock raised in the area. Tributaries include the Lewis, Doubtful, Hope, Hanmer, and Leader rivers. Several gorges along the river are possible sites for hydroelectric-power stations. river in southwestern South Island, New Zealand. It rises in Lake Manapouri and flows south through the Southland district for 135 miles (217 km) to enter Te Waewae Bay of the Tasman Sea. Its drainage basin includes the Mararoa River, extending 20 miles (32 km) farther inland to the Livingstone Mountains, and Lakes Te Anau and Monowai. The town of Tuatapere is the market and lumbering centre for the farms and forests of the valley. Salmon are caught in the river. The Waiau was first explored by William Mantell, an agent of the Canterbury Association Settlement, in 1852.