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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 9, Issue 1 (April 2, 1934.)
Waimakariri River
Waimakariri River.
“Canterbury's Big River,” and its tentacled tributaries, drain the whole of the National Park, on the Canterbury side. Its name was early learnt by Canterbury settlers, even if they were weak on its spelling. Mr.
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Johannes Andersen mentioned an astonishing version, “Wy McReedy.” Mr. J. Greenwood, of Motunau, was no better when he used, in his diary, “Wye McReedie.” “Waimakariddy” and “Waimakariti” approximate to the true pronunciation, and show how the Scots version was given a start.
(Photo, courtesy Auckland “Star.”)
All but one of these six children had never ridden in a train until recently, when they travelled to Auckland from Te Kuiti. They are pupils of a small isolated school in the King Country and none of them had ever seen the sea.
In the general attack on Maori names in the early days, Courtenay could not overcome Waimakariri, just as Rakaia, fortunately, survived Cholomondeley. Waimakariri means “Cold Water.”