Aropaoanui is a Māori word which roughly translates to 'big smoke'. In local myth, the area was named when the local tribe were roasting their captives on a fire after a victory in battle. The fatty pulp around the kidneys of their victims began to bubble, giving the impression that the victims were still alive, which terrified the tribespeople.
Geography
The upper part of the river, above its junction with the Mairau Stream, is called the Waikoau River,[1] a name also given to a river in the South Island.[2] The Waikoua rises from streams on the Maungaharuru Range,[3] running generally south-southeastwards, flowing through steep-sided gullies. It is joined by a tributary, the Mahiaruhe Stream, which is the main outflow of Lake Tūtira,[4] also known as Tūtira Stream where it leaves the lake,[5] after which it continues south along the lake's western flank.[6]
South of the lake, the river is crossed by State Highway 2 before veering eastward, joining with the Mairau Stream to become the Aropaoanui. It continues through a steep-sided valley past the Tangoio Forest, reaching its narrow floodplain just Шаблон:Convert from the coast.[6] Some small farms dot the upper part of the floodplain, accessed by a metal road which meets the Napier–Wairoa highway. The river empties into Hawke Bay, the waters joining the Pacific Ocean, just north of the small settlements of Tangoio and Waipātiki Beach, some Шаблон:Convert north of Napier.
Floods in 1938 swept away the bridge on the Napier-Wairoa section of State Highway 2.[8] The area around the river was also badly affected by floods in 2022.
