HMNZS Awatere was one of eight steel New Zealand-built Castle-class ships built and commissioned by the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II.

The vessel was ordered after the New Zealand government, facing a requirement for more minesweepers to operate in home waters, chose the Castle-class design because it was simple enough to be built with the country's limited ship construction facilities at the time.

[1] Awatere was the second of the nine steel minesweepers constructed for the Royal New Zealand Navy and was commissioned on 28 July 1943. the others being Aroha, Hautapu, Maimai, Pahau, Waiho, Waima, Waipu, and Waikato (never commissioned).

[2] On 27 July 1945, Awatere would ram the Maimai stern-to-stern at Shelly Bay, with minor damage.

[3][2] In October 1946, Awatere was brought by the Australian Commonwealth Government and was allocated to the UNNRA to rebuild the decimated Chinese fishing industry.