Rangitikei River
From Open Encyclopedia
- The Rangitikei River should not be confused with the Rangitaiki River, another of New Zealand's larger rivers, which flows through the central and northern North Island.
The Rangitikei River is one of New Zealand's longest rivers. Its headwaters are to the southeast of Lake Taupo in the Kaimanawa Ranges and its outflow is into the Tasman Sea 40 kilometres southeast of Wanganui.
The river flows for 185 kilometres from the Central Plateau southward past Mangaweka, Taihape, Hunterville, Marton, and Bulls, to the South Taranaki Bight at Tangimoana. The river gives its name to the surrounding Rangitikei District.
In 1897 the Rangitikei river flooded and all the bridges on it were damaged or destoryed a total of 6 bridges. The Port at the Mouth of the river was also washed away and was never built again.
Part of the river was used as the setting for the Anduin River in Peter Jackson's movie dramatisation of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Its vertical cliffs are of a type rare in New Zealand.
