Waiau River, river in southwestern South Island, New Zealand. It rises in Lake Manapouri and flows south through the Southland district for 135 miles (217 km) to enter Te Waewae Bay of the Tasman Sea. Its drainage basin includes the Mararoa River, extending 20 miles (32 km) farther inland to the Livingstone Mountains, and Lakes Te Anau and Monowai. The town of Tuatapere is the market and lumbering centre for the farms and forests of the valley. Salmon are caught in the river. The Waiau was first explored by William Mantell, an agent of the Canterbury Association Settlement, in 1852.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.