| Kowhai River | |
| Mouth Location: | Pacific Ocean |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | New Zealand |
| Length: | 26km (16miles) |
The Kowhai River is a river of the northeast of New Zealand's South Island. It flows south from the slopes of Manakau in the Seaward Kaikōura Range, turning southeast as it reaches its narrow coastal plain. The Kowhai River flows to the ocean to the west of the Kaikōura Peninsula, three kilometres west of the town of Kaikōura.