Kaituna River (Canterbury)

The Kaituna River is a small watercourse which drains the high ground on the Banks Peninsula before discharging into Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora. It gives its name to a steep sheep grazed valley which provides access to the walking tracks and mountain tops of Mount Bradley and Mount Herbert / Te Ahu Pātiki.

The river and its valley were a traditional ara tawhito (travel route) for Māori living on Banks Peninsula, providing a relatively easy route to connect mahinga kai (food gathering sites) at Te Waihora with the more established settlements around Whakaraupō and Koukourarata to the north.