Rising in the Lammerlaw Range, it flows southeast for 50 kilometres (31 mi) before joining the Taieri River near Henley, 30 kilometres (19 mi) southwest of Dunedin of which it is officially the southernmost border.

The upper reaches of the Waipori flow through rough hill country, much of it covered by the Berwick Forest.

An artificial lake, Lake Mahinerangi is formed on the river behind a small hydroelectric station at Waipori Falls, which was built in 1880 to provide power for the city of Dunedin.

[1] The name Waipori comes from Māori words meaning "dark water".

[2] This article about a river in the Otago region is a stub.