Wairau River

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River, northern South Island, New Zealand.

It rises in the Spenser Mountains and flows for 105 mi (169 km) to enter Cloudy Bay of Cook Strait. In 1843 it was the site of the Wairau Affray, a battle between the New Zealand Co. and local Maori chiefs.

More on "Wairau River" from the 32 Volume Encyclopædia Britannica:

Wairau River - river in northern South Island, New Zealand. It rises in the Spenser Mountains and flows for 105 miles (169 km) between the St. Arnaud and Raglan ranges to enter Cloudy Bay of Cook Strait. Wairau Bar (Te Pokohiwi), a long spit of boulders at the river's mouth, encloses more than 15 lagoons, which had been interconnected by artificial channels before the arrival of Europeans.

Marlborough - unitary authority, northeastern South Island, New Zealand. It is bounded by Cook Strait (north), the South Pacific Ocean (east), Canterbury regional council (southeast and south), and Tasman and the city of Nelson unitary authorities (west). The Wairau River rises in western Marlborough in the Spenser Mountains, the source of headwaters of many smaller rivers as well. The Wairau flows northeast, ...

Blenheim - town, Marlborough unitary authority, northeastern South Island, New Zealand, on the Wairau Plain at the confluence of the Omaka and Opawa rivers. About 1830 the entire plain was sold by the local Maoris to a whaling captain. First settled in 1847, it grew rapidly following the discovery of gold (1864) and was made capital of Marlborough province (1865-76). It was proclaimed a town in 1866. It ...

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