Hāpuku River
| Hāpuku River | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The river from the SH1 bridge, August 2015 | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Seaward Kaikōura Range |
| • elevation | Highest 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 |
• elevation | Sea level |
| Length | About 20km |
The Hāpuku River begins in the Seaward Kaikōura Range of New Zealand and flows south-east to enter the Pacific Ocean at Hapuku, 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[update], 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
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Peter Dowling, ed. (2004). Reed New Zealand Atlas. Reed Books. pp. map 67. ISBN 0-7900-0952-8.
- ↑ Discover New Zealand:A Wises Guide (9th ed.). 1994. pp. 303–4.
- ↑ "Kaikoura". The Press. 11 February 1915. Retrieved 19 November 2016 – via Papers Past.
- ↑ "Hon R. H. Rhodes". The Star (Christchurch). 7 May 1915. Retrieved 19 November 2016 – via Papers Past.
- ↑ "Kaikoura". The Press. 1 July 1914. Retrieved 19 November 2016 – via Papers Past.
- ↑ "Auckland Motorways Structures Data" (PDF).
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Hapuku Bridge". The Press. 16 January 1939. Retrieved 17 November 2016 – via Papers Past.
- ↑ "January 1953 Eastern New Zealand Flooding - HWE". hwe.niwa.co.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ↑ Mithraratne, N. (December 2011). "Lifetime liabilities of land transport using road and rail infrastructure" (PDF). NZ Transport Agency research report 462.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Damaged South Island Main Trunk Bridge Construction". The Press. 21 March 1941. Retrieved 19 November 2016 – via Papers Past.
- ↑ "Damage to Railway". The New Zealand Herald. 20 March 1941. Retrieved 20 November 2016 – via Papers Past.
- ↑ Hill, David (31 March 2025). "Whale Trail: New section of great cycleway opens". Stuff. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ↑ Whitaker, Tony; Shaw, Tim; Hitchmough, Rod (1999). "Black-eyed geckos (Hoplodactylus kahutarae) on Mt Arthur, Kahurangi National Park" (PDF).
- ↑ Cresswell, Mary; Veitch, Dick (1994). "Threatened Terrestrial Insects: A Workshop to Advance Conservation" (PDF). Threatened Species Unit, Department of Conservation.
- ↑ Hallas, S.E.A. "Birds of the braided riverbeds of southern Marlborough, New Zealand" (PDF). Doc Science Internal Series 95. Department of Conservation.
- ↑ "Ka Whata Tu o Rakihouia Conservation Park hunting block: South Marlborough hunting". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ↑ "Mt Fyffe and the Seaward Kaikōura Range: Ka Whata Tu o Rakihouia Conservation Park, Marlborough region". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ↑ "Hapuku dam threat on farmers". Stuff. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ↑ "Govt reviewing tsunami warnings". Otago Daily Times. 19 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ↑ "Ka Whata Tu o Rakihouia Clarence: Places to go in Marlborough". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ↑ Scoble, Juliet (2010). "Names & Opening & Closing Dates of Railway Stations in New Zealand" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2020.