The Motu River was the first New Zealand 'wild and scenic' river
to win protection from a Water Conservation Order in 1984. The
major waterway on the eastern side of the North Island rises on
the southern side of the Raukumara Range, south of Opotiki,
heads east and cuts its way through the range (where it receives
important tributaries) and empties into the Bay of Plenty. The
Maori name Motu means cut off, isolated. This refers to the
dense forests around the headwaters. This important wilderness
river passes through mostly steep, uninhabited hill country with
thick native bush. It is used for adventure tourism (jet-boating
and white-water rafting). A mid-20th century proposal to dam the
river for hydroelectricity was rejected. The WCO says the river
should be preserved as far as possible in its natural state from
the Motu Falls to the SH35 bridge. The Rakaia River crosses the
Canterbury Plains, one of the largest braided rivers in New
Zealand. It rises in the Southern Alps, travelling 150km in a
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