The Waikato River begins as a series of small streams on the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu in the central North Island of New Zealand, with one of its main sources being the Mangatoetoenui Glacier.

From these headwater streams near Mount Ruapehu, the water flows north into Lake Taupō, which is often described as the point where the river’s more recognizable journey starts before it continues out of Taupō and across the Waikato region to the Tasman Sea.