Kaiwharawhara Stream facts for kids

The Kaiwharawhara Stream is a small stream located in the North Island of New Zealand. It flows through the northwestern part of Wellington, which is New Zealand's capital city. This stream starts in the suburb of Karori and travels through several other areas before it reaches the western side of Wellington Harbour. It ends its journey in the area called Kaiwharawhara, close to where the Interislander Ferry docks.

About the Kaiwharawhara Stream

The Kaiwharawhara Stream is an important natural feature in Wellington. It helps drain water from a large area of land. Even though it's a small stream, it plays a role in the local environment and history of the city.

Where Does the Stream Flow?

The stream's journey begins in the hills of Karori. This is where its headwaters are, meaning the very start of the stream. From Karori, the water flows downhill, passing through different suburbs. As it gets closer to the sea, it runs alongside the Johnsonville Branch railway. This railway line was once part of a bigger railway system called the North Island Main Trunk Railway. Today, the main railway line crosses over the stream near where it meets the harbour.

What is its Catchment Area?

The Kaiwharawhara Stream has a main tributary called the Korimako Stream. A tributary is a smaller stream or river that flows into a larger one. The Korimako Stream starts in areas like Khandallah and Ngaio. Many other smaller streams also feed into the Kaiwharawhara Stream.

The total area of land that collects water for the stream is called its catchment. The Kaiwharawhara Stream's catchment covers about 19 square kilometres (7.3 square miles). A big part of this area is made up of parks and nature reserves.

Challenges for the Stream

Even though much of the land around the stream is natural parkland, the water can still get dirty. This is mainly due to pollution from stormwater and runoff. Stormwater is rain that flows over streets and roofs in the city. Runoff is water that flows over land, picking up things like dirt, chemicals, and rubbish. These come from urban areas, which means places where people live and work. This pollution can harm the plants and animals that live in and around the stream.

Hidden Sections of the Stream

For a lot of its path, the Kaiwharawhara Stream actually flows through underground pipes. It is piped from the Zealandia (wildlife_sanctuary) area all the way to Otari-Wilton's Bush. This means you can't always see the stream flowing above ground.