Karamea

The Karamea River is located in the West Coast Region of the South Island of New Zealand. The river rises within Kahurangi National Park in the Matiri Range of the Southern Alps. The river rises to the east of Mount Allen, meandering west briefly before turning north. After some 25 km (16 mi) it again turns west, to enter a series of small lakes where its waters are joined by those of the Roaring Lion River. From here the river continues west through steep-sided valleys before leaving the national park and reaching its floodplain 10 km (6.2 mi) from the coast of the Tasman Sea. The river passes the small settlements of Umere and Arapito before reaching the Ōtūmahana Estuary and the Tasman Sea close to the township of Karamea.

The river has a catchment area, including its tributaries, of 1,210 km2 (470 mi2), representing around 23% of the entire area of Kahurangi National Park.