The small town of Kakanui lies on the coast of Otago, in New Zealand, fourteen kilometres to the south of Oamaru.

The rich and fertile soil of the area around the river has physical properties which make it perfect for use in sports grounds, especially cricket pitches.

It provides the first surfable break and the first safe swimming beach (apart from Timaru's Caroline Bay) south of Banks Peninsula.

The sandy beach below the shingle spit north of the river mouth stretching toward Oamaru is safely swimmable.

The township contains a number of glasshouses, primarily used for growing tomatoes, but also producing cucumbers and capsicums (bell peppers).

Kakanui (originally Kakaunui) was once a bustling port on the northern side of the river, with a hotel, blacksmith, meat works, and a post office.

Kakanui is described as a rural settlement by Statistics New Zealand, and covers 2.02 km2 (0.78 sq mi).