Wairau River Map
The Wairau River is a 169 km (105 mi) river in New Zealand. This map shows its course to the Te Koko-o-Kupe / Cloudy Bay on shaded relief, with its river network, lakes, borders and major cities.
How to read this map
The Wairau River is about 169 km (105 mi) long and drains a basin of about 4,220 km² (1,630 sq mi). It flows into the Te Koko-o-Kupe / Cloudy Bay. Tributaries include Goulter River, Ōhinemahuta River, Waikākaho River, Hamilton River, Wye River, Waihopai River, St Ronans Stream and Rainbow River.
The highlighted blue line is the course of the Wairau River as mapped by Natural Earth. Towns and cities on the map include Wellington, Nelson, Porirua and Blenheim.
Greens show lower elevations; tan and brown show higher land, with pale tones toward the highest terrain. Shadows emphasize the slopes, and vertical relief is exaggerated so landforms are easier to read. Dashed lines show country borders.
The relief uses Terrain Tiles (SRTM, GMTED2010 and ETOPO1 elevation data). Rivers, lakes, borders and the course of the Wairau River come from Natural Earth, and the figures on this page from Wikidata. Natural Earth draws features at a small scale, so the line is a guide to where the Wairau River is, not a surveyed boundary.
Blank physical map
The blank version keeps the mapped features and removes the place labels. Download it for a geography worksheet or practice identifying the features.
Wairau River facts
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 169 km (105 mi) |
| Drainage basin | 4,220 km² (1,630 sq mi) |
| Mouth | the Te Koko-o-Kupe / Cloudy Bay |
| Countries | New Zealand |
| Tributaries | Goulter River, Ōhinemahuta River, Waikākaho River, Hamilton River, Wye River, Waihopai River, St Ronans Stream and Rainbow River |
Data sources and license
- Natural Earth (public-domain geography): Public domain.
- Terrain Tiles / Mapzen (SRTM, GMTED2010, ETOPO1): Open elevation data; source attribution retained.
- Wikidata (lengths, areas, countries and other facts): CC0 1.0.
Map design and rendered images: Atlas of Maps, CC BY 4.0. Source databases retain their own licenses; the map license does not replace them.
Maps of the countries: New Zealand. Compare with the world rivers map.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Wairau River?
The Wairau River is about 169 km (105 mi) long, with a drainage basin of about 4,220 km² (1,630 sq mi).
Where does the Wairau River start and end?
The Wairau River flows into the Te Koko-o-Kupe / Cloudy Bay.
Can I download a blank map of the Wairau River?
Yes. The blank version keeps the relief, rivers and borders and the highlighted river but removes the place names. Both versions are free to download as PNG and as an A4 PDF.
Use this map
You can download, print and share this map for free, in class, in school projects, in presentations and on websites, as long as you credit the source: Wairau River Map · Atlas of Maps (atlasofmaps.com), license CC BY 4.0.
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