[1] It flows southeast from the slopes of 1,687 m (5,535 ft) Te Atuaoparapara (once known as 'Sixty-six')[2] in the Ruahine Range, past the town of Waipawa, before joining the Tukituki River.

[4] The Mangaonuku Stream is a tributary on the northern bank, west of Waipawa, near Ruataniwha.

[6] The Old Bed of Waipawa River flows roughly parallel with and north of the present Waipawa River to join the Tukituki through the Papanui Stream, south west of Lake Poukawa.

At that site its Macroinvertebrate Community Index is C (of grades A to D) and likely degrading, but it is in the best 25% of rivers for most samples, except clarity.

[11] There are hundreds of banded dotterel (pohowera) and pied stilt around the river.