river, east-central North Island, New Zealand. It derives its name from a Maori term meaning “place for dancing.” Rising on the Kaweka and Ahimanawa ranges, the river flows southeast, northeast, and southeast once again, entering Hawke Bay of the Pacific Ocean. Its principal tributaries are the Waipunga, Taharua, and Hautapu rivers. The main stream, 107 miles (172 km) long, drains a basin 910 square miles (2,357 square km) in area. It flows through many gorges, and in its lowest 17 miles (27 km) it is set below terraces 250 feet (75 m) high.

The town of Mohaka, on the coast, is the centre of a sheep-grazing district. At Raupunga, a few miles upstream, the Napier–Gisborne rail line crosses the river by a viaduct (1937) more than 300 feet (90 m) high and 900 feet (275 m) long. The river was the scene of the 1869 Mohaka Massacre, when 60 Europeans were killed by Maoris.