Hāpuku River

Not to be confused with the Hapuka River on the West Coast of New Zealand.

Hāpuku River
The river from the SH1 bridge, August 2015
Location
CountryNew Zealand
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationSeaward Kaikōura Range
 • elevationHighest tributaries rise at about 2,000m
Mouth 
 • location
Pacific Ocean
 • coordinates
42°19′37″S 173°44′26″E / 42.32694°S 173.74056°E / -42.32694; 173.74056
 • elevation
Sea level
LengthAbout 20km

The Hāpuku River begins in the Seaward Kaikōura Range of New Zealand and flows south-east to enter the Pacific Ocean at Hapuka, between Clarence and Kaikōura.[1] The name comes from the Māori word hāpuku or hāpuka, a deep-water marine fish.[2] Its main tributary is the Puhi Puhi River.

The first road bridge across the Hāpuku was completed in 1915,[3] although the approaches were a little later.[4] The foundations were made 26 ft (7.9 m) deeper than originally specified in order to reach a solid footing.[5] The current State Highway 1 bridge was constructed in 1983 and is 11 spans, 227 m (745 ft) long, and 8.6 m (28 ft) wide.[6] The Main North Line railway bridge was constructed in 1940 and is 23 spans of 67 ft (20 m),[7] with a total length of 1,500 ft (460 m).[8]

While other rivers were affected by serious flooding in 1953, the Hāpuku rose only 6.5 ft (2.0 m) at the railway bridge.[9] Presumably this was due to the short catchment, the tectonic uplift of its headwaters and the width of the braided river bed, which is a source of railway ballast.[10] However, an 1868 flood had more of an impact upstream, leaving a 30 ft (9.1 m) bank[11] and a 1941 flood damaged the railway.[12][13]

As of March 2025, two main options for the Whale Trail cycle path from Picton to Kaikōura to cross the Hāpuku River were under evaluation: either a clip-on addition to the State Highway 1 road bridge, or a new suspension bridge.[14]

Wildlife associated with the area include black-eyed geckos, found near the headwaters of the north branch Hāpuku River,[15] and bluff wetas.[16] Banded dotterels breed in the Hāpuku.[17] Introduced species include red deer, goats (kept at low levels by culling), pigs and chamois.[18]

There were two Department of Conservation huts in the valley; Hapuku Hut and Barratts Bivvy, linked by walking tracks.[19] However, a slip triggered by the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake blocked the river, with water building up behind the slip[20] and destroying Barratts Hut[21] and Bivvy.[22]

Hapuka railway station was open from 13 March 1944 to 29 March 1981. A passing loop and ballast siding remain.[23]

See also

References

  1. ^ Peter Dowling, ed. (2004). Reed New Zealand Atlas. Reed Books. pp. map 67. ISBN 0-7900-0952-8.
  2. ^ Discover New Zealand:A Wises Guide (9th ed.). 1994. pp. 303–4.
  3. ^ "Kaikoura". The Press. 11 February 1915. Retrieved 19 November 2016 – via Papers Past.
  4. ^ "Hon R. H. Rhodes". The Star (Christchurch). 7 May 1915. Retrieved 19 November 2016 – via Papers Past.
  5. ^ "Kaikoura". The Press. 1 July 1914. Retrieved 19 November 2016 – via Papers Past.
  6. ^ "Auckland Motorways Structures Data" (PDF).
  7. ^ "Scenes on the South Island Main Trunk Railway, between Christchurch and Picton, which is being officially opened this afternoon by the Minister of Railways". Evening Post. Retrieved 18 November 2016 – via Papers Past.
  8. ^ "Hapuku Bridge". The Press. 16 January 1939. Retrieved 17 November 2016 – via Papers Past.
  9. ^ "January 1953 Eastern New Zealand Flooding - HWE". hwe.niwa.co.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  10. ^ Mithraratne, N. (December 2011). "Lifetime liabilities of land transport using road and rail infrastructure" (PDF). NZ Transport Agency research report 462.
  11. ^ "Kaikoura Floodplain a strategy for reducing the impacts of flooding and flood sediment deposition" (PDF). Environment Canterbury. 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2010.
  12. ^ "Damaged South Island Main Trunk Bridge Construction". The Press. 21 March 1941. Retrieved 19 November 2016 – via Papers Past.
  13. ^ "Damage to Railway". The New Zealand Herald. 20 March 1941. Retrieved 20 November 2016 – via Papers Past.
  14. ^ Hill, David (31 March 2025). "Whale Trail: New section of great cycleway opens". Stuff. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  15. ^ Whitaker, Tony; Shaw, Tim; Hitchmough, Rod (1999). "Black-eyed geckos (Hoplodactylus kahutarae) on Mt Arthur, Kahurangi National Park" (PDF).
  16. ^ Cresswell, Mary; Veitch, Dick (1994). "Threatened Terrestrial Insects: A Workshop to Advance Conservation" (PDF). Threatened Species Unit, Department of Conservation.
  17. ^ Hallas, S.E.A. "Birds of the braided riverbeds of southern Marlborough, New Zealand" (PDF). Doc Science Internal Series 95. Department of Conservation.
  18. ^ "Ka Whata Tu o Rakihouia Conservation Park hunting block: South Marlborough hunting". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  19. ^ "Mt Fyffe and the Seaward Kaikōura Range: Ka Whata Tu o Rakihouia Conservation Park, Marlborough region". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  20. ^ "Hapuku dam threat on farmers". Stuff. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  21. ^ "Govt reviewing tsunami warnings". Otago Daily Times. 19 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  22. ^ "Ka Whata Tu o Rakihouia Clarence: Places to go in Marlborough". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  23. ^ Scoble, Juliet (2010). "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2020.
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