It flows initially north before turning northwest across the northwestern corner of the Hauraki Plains, reaching the southwestern corner of the Firth of Thames close to the settlement of Waitakaruru.

Grey mangrove, or mānawa, has rapidly colonised the estuary since 1940, due to sediment deposited by the rivers and climate change.

[1] The river should not be confused with the similarly named Waitakaruru Stream, which is also in the Waikato Region, near Morrinsville.

[3] Pollution has generally been worsening, as shown in this table - Monthly records are flow-adjusted using a Lowess curve fit with 30% span.

This article about a river in the Waikato Region is a stub.