Rangitata River, river in east-central South Island, New Zealand. It is formed by the confluence of the Clyde and Havelock rivers, which rise in the Southern Alps. The river’s name is of Maori derivation and means “low sky.” The river passes through the Rangitata Gorge, in the Alpine foothills, and flows southeast for 75 miles (121 km), entering Canterbury Bight of the Pacific Ocean, 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Timaru. In the stream’s lower reaches, crossing the Canterbury Plains, it flows in braided channels that are usually too shallow for navigation but may unite in time of flood.
At the mouth of the Rangitata Gorge, a diversion canal carries water northeast to Highbank on the Rakaia River, where it is used for the generation of hydroelectric power and irrigation.