Close message

Water

This extensive topic covers uses and forms of water, sources, conservation, sustainability, ecosystems, transport and sport. You will also find art, activities, stories, poems and experiments associated with the properties of water. SCIS no. 1809127

Filter by media type

Display as

Waterfall

Waterfall at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth,Taranaki, NZ.

Restoring the mauri of lake Omapere

Restoring the mauri of lake Omapere

Documentary on the restoration of Lake Omapere, a taonga to the Ngāpuhi people.

Uses of water

Images, videos on the uses of water

Life in freshwater

Freshwater ecosystems and food chains of New Zealand’s lakes, rivers and ponds.

Water and Maori

Water and Maori

Signification of water to Maori.

New Zealand's A to Z - fishing

New Zealand's A to Z - fishing

Recreational fishing for trout, inshore saltwater species and offshore big game fish.

The Great white man-eating shark

The Great white man-eating shark

Animator Euan Frizzell's, award winning adaptation of a Margaret Mahy picture book.

Dawn cleansing ceremony

Dawn cleansing ceremony

Cleansing ceremony, a common part of women’s-movement activities of the 1990s.

Reverend minister McCat's holy water

Popular character from bro’Town selling holy water.

Carved font

Carved wooden baptismal font in St Aidan's Church proves that first churches in New Zealand were Māori churches.

Chris Heaphy: Untitled extract

Chris Heaphy: Untitled extract

Artistic presentation of water from Lake Taupo suggesting ghostly figures.

Soil moisture measurement

Soil moisture measurement

Recording moisture in the soil to determine irrigation requirements.

1958 flood in the Otorohanga and Waitomo Districts.

Desalination plant

Desalination plant

Desalination plant set up in Christchurch 2011 to help supply fresh water after the earthquake.

Fluoride in water supply

Fluoride in water supply

A group of dental health professionals is urging Kapiti Coast residents to oppose a council proposal to stop fluoridating water supplies.

Water consumption challenged

Water consumption challenged

An Australian dietetics researcher has found that while dietary authorities encourage people to consume eight glasses, or two litres, of water daily for optimal health, that advice is misinformed.

Water borne diseases

Water borne diseases

The number of people catching stomach bugs after swimming in lakes and rivers could be much greater than those recorded. The Taranaki medical officer of health says not as many people go to the doc...

Experiences of tsunamis

Tsunamis stories from New Zealanders following the 1960 earthquake in Chile.

Measuring rainfall

System of measuring rainfall in inches from Papers Past.

Life under the sea

Life under the sea

Surrealist impression of life under the sea.

Raoul: a diver's view

Raoul: a diver's view

A fish curator and an underwater videographer capture marine life around Raoul Island.

New Zealand plants and their story

Plants of fresh water, swamps and bogs.

Te Pangu salmon farm

Te Pangu salmon farm

The sea-farming of mussels and salmon, in the Marlborough Sounds.

Weather and water in New Zealand

James Renwick explains the influence of the south westerlies on rain and storms in New Zealand.

Coastal erosion

Coastal erosion is the retreat of the shoreline due to water currents, waves and wind. It is a natural process that can be influenced by human activities. Types of erosion There are two types of co...

Water safety

Article about the Water Safety Day that took place in Gisborne, December 5, 1973.

Therapeutical drinking of hot water

Experiment on the benefits of drinking water at 110-150 degrees Fahrenheit.

Transport by water

Transport by water

Until roads were built European settlers relied on water-borne transport to get their goods to market. The Tukituki River was used, and small vessels made regular visits along the coast to pick up ...

Mountain stream

Mountain stream

Purchased with assistance from the Ballantyne Bequest and the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council, 1969 Reproduced courtesy of the Peter O´Connor Collection ...

Flood in the Otira Gorge

Flood in the Otira Gorge

Betsy Oamara Pearce bequest, 2005 Oil on canvas 800 x 700mm 2005/036 ...

Children at a swimming pool

Children at a swimming pool

Children from Otaki health camp

Children from Otaki health camp

Children from the Otaki Children's Health Camp playing in the surf at Otaki beach.

Lake Pukaki

Whakarewarewa geysers

Whakarewarewa geysers

This diagram shows the geothermal plumbing system beneath Geyser Flat at Whakarewarewa. A column of hot water rises to the surface, erupting through a number of vents. The geysers (Prince of Wales ...

Cooking in the pools, Rotorua

Cooking in the pools, Rotorua

Cooking food in a hot pool at Whakarewarewa, photographed between 1963 and 1967 by Gladys M Goodall. The food is held in tukohu (long-tailed flax baskets). Maureen Waaka is wearing a piupiu and the...

Lake Benmore hydroelectric dam

Lake Benmore hydroelectric dam

New Zealand’s largest man-made lake, Lake Benmore, was formed behind the Benmore power station. Capable of generating 540 megawatts of energy, Benmore is the country’s second largest hydroelectric ...

Hamaria waka on Lake Horowhenua

Hamaria waka on Lake Horowhenua

Taueki family fishing for eels on Lake Horowhenua aboard the Hamaria canoe, the last war canoe on the lake. Photograph taken 6 June 1926 by G L Adkin. Inscriptions: Album page - beneath image - 7...

Jet boating

Showing jet boating on the Shotover River near Queenstown Southland Region (N.Z.)

Gathering kaimoana

Gathering kaimoana

Scenes of Maori gathering kai moana (seafood) from rock pools at Te Kaha, and a man driving a horse and plough in a paddock near a church, taken in 1963 by Ans Westra. Unless otherwise stated all p...

New Zealand Longfin Eel

New Zealand Longfin Eel

One of the many eels maintained at Willowbank. Feeding them is a treat for the kids.

Paua

Largest of our Haliotis sp. Has a nice steak! Becomes well disguised with marine growths. Sometimes attack on the outer layers of the shell is evident by a tiny shell borer, but this rarely succeed...

Gathering kaimoana

Gathering kaimoana

Scenes of Maori gathering kai moana (seafood) from rock pools at Te Kaha, taken in 1963 by Ans Westra. Unless otherwise stated all persons are unidentified. Quantity: 4 b&w original negative(s) 12...

Life in freshwater

Compared with many other countries, New Zealand is blessed with plenty of fresh water and a wide range of freshwater habitats. The wild, clear rivers and large scenic lakes attract visitors from al...

Changes to river environments

Life in and around rivers Before widespread human settlement, most lowland rivers were bordered by dense native forest with many ferns, mosses, liverworts and fungi. The forested river banks were h...

Rivers with Craig Potton, Rangitata

Rivers with Craig Potton, Rangitata

In this award-winning episode of the Rivers series, photographer Craig Potton visits Canterbury’s Rangitata River. The great braided river is home to the rare wrybill, and the landscape has provide...

River ecosystems

The ecology of the river refers to the relationships that living organisms have with each other and with their environment – the ecosystem. An ecosystem is the sum of interactions between plants, a...

Petone flood

A man surveying flooding under the Petone overbridge, Wellington.

Waikato Is the river

Waikato Is the river

‘Waikato Is The River’ is a translation of the original poem ‘Waikato Te Awa’ originally written by R. T. Harrison. The selected translated version written by Kitty Leach appeared in Te Ao Hou, a M...

America's Cup parade

America's Cup parade

‘The America’s Cup is now New Zealand’s cup!’ Commentator Peter Montgomery’s famous words echoed the national excitement when New Zealand won the cup in May 1995.

Bulls water tower

Bulls water tower

The distinctive mushroom shaped water tower at Bulls is easily visible from SH1 across the Rangitikei River. The design is credited to architect Bill Alington from the Hydro Design Office, New Zeal...

Margaret Sweeney completing swim of Lake Taupo

Margaret Sweeney completing swim of Lake Taupo

Margaret Sweeney was the first person to swim across Lake Taupo on 30 January 1955. The maximum length of the lake is 46 kilometres, longer than the Cook or Foveaux Straits.

Waterwheel

This painting shows a waterwheel besides a stream. These machines used the energy of flowing or falling water to turn the wheel. The axle of the turning wheel then powered other machines.

Use milk to drink or bathe in

Use milk to drink or bathe in

This cartoon is a reference to Fonterra’s Longburn plant that was given permission by the Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council to release up to 8500 cubic meters of ‘low –strength effluents’ into the...

One-man homemade submarine

One-man homemade submarine

Barney Connett built this one-man fish like submarine in 1938 in America. It went down to a depth of 31ft, travelled as far as 14 miles under water and had a 4ft periscope.

Arthur’s crusade to save water

Arthur’s crusade to save water

This cartoon refers to the 2008 New Zealand drought. The electricity industry urged New Zealanders to wash dishes by hand and save electricity. Water cuts were a possibility and conservation became...

Hydro-Electric power

Hydro-Electric power

Lake Coleridge was the first hydroelectric power station commissioned in 1914 by the Government of New Zealand. The construction became possible because of the 1910 Aid to Waterpower Act which gave...

The Sea serpent

The Sea serpent

Mr E. B. Meade Waldo and Mr M. J. Nicoll were on a scientific expedition on the ship Valhalla on December 7, 1905 when they spotted a sea monster. They described the creature to be about 4 ft. long...

New Sea-water cure

New Sea-water cure

According to this article the earliest forms of life were protoplasm that grew in sea-water, thus making sea-water an important part of our body constitution. It was also known that salt existed in...

Potential economic and social impacts of drought and what can be done to conserve water.

Table, timelines and map showing geographic conflicts over water.

A River in New Zealand dets a legal voice

The Whanganui river is recognized as a person when it comes to the law.

Water meters accurately measure the amount of water used and charge you accordingly.

A short documentary on the impact that bottled water has on our life and our environment.

The science of water

The chemical composition, properties, history and use of water.

Hydropower energy

Definition, history, process and types of hydropower.

The bottled-water giants who are taking our water

Global beverage giants have been quietly bottling New Zealand's water for years.

A selection of water themed artworks.

Water cycle rap

A video rap song with lyrics on the water cycle.

Where does water go?

Comprehensive infographics on water facts, the water cycle and how to make a mini water cycle.

The water of life

A skit about three brothers and their search for the water of life.

Water festivals

Festivals based on water as a major source of life and spirituality.

Water science for kids

A useful range of water-focused experiments, games, interesting facts, science fair projects, and videos etc.

Solar System and water

Discussion on the evidence of water on other planets.

Presents a range of New Zealand related infographics associated with different uses of water.

Who owns NZ water?

In New Zealand, we think water is free.

Water experiments

A gallery of items related to experiments on water.

Calculation and causes for water footprint on the earth.

Why drinking water is the way to go

The connections between body hydration and good health.

Types of water sports

Water sports involving adventure, racing or competition.

Famous artists and their watercolour masterpieces.

Volume of water

Finding the volume of water using the displacement method.

Women and water

A look at the effects of the global water crisis on women and girls in developing countries.

Tangaroa hands back Robert Hewitt

Tangaroa hands back Robert Hewitt

Robert Hewitt, ex-Royal New Zealand Navy diver and his friends went recreational scuba diving off Mana Island when strong undercurrents swept him away from the group.

Archimedes’ eureka!

The story behind Archimedes theory of displacement of water.

Why can't we manufacture water?

Ideas about how water can be manufactured in the future to prevent world-wide water shortages.

Mystery of earth's water

Theories on the origin of water on planet Earth.

U.S. Geological Survey presents various categories of water use.

A collection of best and new poems on water.

23 Places we've found water in our solar system

The moons and planets where scientists are finding water in all its forms.

Water worries, School Journal Curriculum level: 3 Apr 2012

Explanation writing, persuasive writing and procedural writing on water issues in New Zealand.

Track your water app

App on saving and recording use of water.

Water-conservation and sustainability

A gallery of items related to water conservation and sustainability.

Principal rivers of the world

A table with lists and links to information on the major rivers of the world.

A selection of New Zealand water safety images.