It arises in the Inland Kaikoura Range and Halden Hills and flows east and then south-east into the South Pacific Ocean near Ward.

[1] It is named after the Flaxbourne sheep station established by Sir Charles Clifford in 1847.

[3] The river provides water for irrigation, and for stock and domestic supply.

During summer the demand for water normally exceeds the availability.

This article about a river in the Marlborough Region is a stub.