Waipara is a small town in north Canterbury, on the banks of the Waipara River.
It is at the junction of State Highways 1 and 7 60 kilometres north of Christchurch. It is also situated on the Main North Line railway.
The Weka Pass Railway has its base in Waipara, and runs on 12 kilometres of track between here and Waikari over the former route of the Waiau Branch, a branch line railway that diverged from the Main North Line and ran to Waiau.
The Waipara region also has a reputation as premium area for the production of Pinot noir, Riesling and Chardonnay. Waipara has the highest summer temperatures and the lowest rainfall of any of the New Zealand wine regions.