It is located near the coast in the Waitaki District that straddles the border of Otago and Canterbury.

A large fire in January 2006 came at the height of the killing season and caused significant disruptions for both workers and customers.

The Main South Line still runs through the town, though it no longer caters for passenger traffic.

A plaque next to State Highway 1 to the north of the settlement (close to the farming community of Hilderthorpe) marks the 45th parallel.

The statistical unit which includes Pukeuri covers 19.70 km2 (7.61 sq mi).

Before the 2023 census, Lower Waitaki had a smaller boundary, covering 172.93 km2 (66.77 sq mi).