The Maraekākaho River is a river of the Hawke's Bay region, New Zealand. It flows into the Ngaruroro River.
Etymology
The river's name means "abundance of flax plumes" in Māori, a name shared by the community found at the mouth of the river, Maraekākaho.
Geography
The Maraekākaho River rises in the Raukawa area of the Hawke's Bay Region, following a meandering course through farmland. It flows into the Ngaruroro River immediately north of the rural village of Maraekākaho. The catchment of the Maraekākaho River is primarily farmland used to raise sheep and cattle, with native forest only covering 3% of the catchment area. Geologically, the river flows over greywacke formed between the Holocene and Pleistocene, originally deposited by the Ngaruroro River.
History
The river has traditional significance to Ngāti Kahungunu, including the hapū Ngāti Te Upokoiri and Ngāti Te Rangikoianake.
References