The headwater is near the 1,604 metres (5,262 ft) Waingaro Peak within the Lockett Range, accessible via a tramping track from Fenella Hut.

[4][5] Downstream from here, the Waingaro River turns to flow generally north close to the eastern edge of Kahurangi National Park.

[2] There are three rivers on the Takaka Plains and during times of early colonial settlement, drownings were common as no bridges had been built yet.

[7][8] Legal action was taken in 2016 over Waingaro River irrigation consents amid concerns that this may adversely affect the nearby Te Waikoropupū Springs.

[9] In 2023 the Environment Court awarded the springs and their aquifer a Water Conservation Order, the highest legal protection.