The Waipawa River is a major tributary of the Tukituki River, flowing approximately 110 kilometers north and east from its headwaters in the Ruahine Ranges. It traverses the Ruataniwha Plains in Central Hawke's Bay before joining the Tukituki downstream of Waipukurau. This river is characterized as a vast, gravel-braided system that supplies water for surrounding rural needs. It offers excellent fishing for hard-fighting rainbow and brown trout within a landscape that transitions from high-country bush streams in its upper reaches to shingle-bed runs and pools as it flows through farmland.