Riwaka Wharf depicts one of the artist's favourite views in the region that he called home. This lookout point in Motueka inspired a number of paintings and watercolours over the course of his career.

The painting has been split into horizontal thirds consisting of the foreground, harbour background, and sky. By conforming to compositional norms in this way, Woollaston has achieved balance. His use of colour demonstrates a sound mastery of light and form, as well as the influence of European plein air impressionists such as Cezanne. The scene is bathed in a brilliant, intense sunshine, which further highlights the spirited brilliance of his technique: the deep, cool blue of the sea bridges the gap between the vast cloudy sky and the dry, earthy yellow of the land. More often than not Woollaston relied on browns, reds and yellows - that is, raw, earthy tones. The brilliant application of blue, red, green and yellow gives this painting a particularly energising, crystalline clarity.

This view was dear to the artist's heart. It is a snapshot from near where he first learned to paint, having moved to Mapua to work as a fruit-picker when he was 18. From this early stage in his career, Woollaston developed a special relationship with this part of the country to which he would return time and again in his work. In 1968 (two decades before Riwaka Wharf was painted), the artist had returned there and rediscovered the joy and inspiration of these scenes, at the same time launching his career as a full-time artist.