Makatote River facts for kids

The Makatote River is a river in the middle of New Zealand's North Island. It starts on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu. The river flows west from the Hauhungatahi Wilderness Area. It then enters a deep gorge, about 100 meters (328 feet) deep. The Makatote River joins other smaller streams. It then becomes part of the Manganui o te Ao River. This river is part of the larger Whanganui River system.

Protecting the Makatote River

The Makatote River is very important for native fish. It is protected by a special rule called a water conservation order. This rule helps keep the river healthy. It makes sure the fish and their homes are safe.

Amazing Fish Species

Many different types of native fish live in the Makatote River. These include interesting fish like lamprey. You can also find longfinned eels and short-finned eels. Other fish include common smelt and banded kokopu. There are also short-jawed kokopu and koaro. You might even spot torrentfish, redfinned bully, common bully, and Cran’s bully.

Trees and Wildlife

The gorge around the river is home to tall trees. These include rimu, matai, and maire. In the past, people harvested many trees from this area. They cut down rimu, matai, kahikatea, totara, and miro trees.

The lowest 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) of the river are watched carefully. This is to protect the whio population. The whio is a special native duck. There was an idea to build a walking track to Te Kohatu waterfall. However, this idea was not approved. It was decided that a track would not be right for a wilderness area.

Makatote Viaduct and Bridge

The Makatote River is crossed by a very large railway bridge. This bridge is called the Makatote Viaduct. It is the third largest railway viaduct on the North Island Main Trunk line. The viaduct stands about 79 meters (259 feet) high.

Nearby, State Highway 4 also crosses the river. This road was first built by the railway company. It helped them get to their construction sites. The highway crosses the river on a much lower bridge.

Makatote Tramway History

Just north of the viaduct, you can find the remains of the Makatote Tramway. This tramway is a historic site. It is listed as a Category 2 heritage site by Heritage New Zealand. You can still see old rails and places where logs were loaded. There are also parts of a log hauler, water pits, and bogie wheels.

In the 1930s, some special trees were planted near the tramway. These included Western Red Cedar and Lawson's Cypress. This was part of a bigger plan by the State Forests Service. They wanted to see if certain trees could grow well at high altitudes. Other trees considered for this experiment were Japanese Cedar, Douglas Fir, Ponderous Pine, Weymouth Pine, and Sugar Pine.

External Links

• Te Kohatu waterfall in 1908
• Location of Makatote waterfall on a map
• Makatote waterfall on Panoramio
• Description of a tramping route to Te Kohatu