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The coast in South Taranaki boasts some of the best surfing spots in the country. |
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Hawera, South Taranaki
Your host town, 2010
South Taranaki
The South Taranaki District catchphrase is “Real Energy” and that doesn’t just apply to the region’s major on and offshore gas and oil resources. Wedged between Mt Taranaki’s majestic cone and the Tasman Sea, South Taranaki boasts sufficient outdoor pursuits
to satisfy even the most hyperactive visitor.
Kayaking, four-wheel drive safaris and a downhill mountainbiking adventure are other options where a little expert help is recommended, but for something entirely different, try “dam dropping”, a homegrown adventure where thrill seekers slide down a seven-metre spillway on
specially designed boards.
South Taranaki is an area where everything is at your doorstep, where the Mountain and the sea are only a stone’s throw apart. The rugged coastline of South Taranaki offers some of the best surfing and windsurfing in New Zealand. Surf Highway 45 is the coastal route from Hawera to
New Plymouth and professionals and enthusiasts from all over the world com to surf at the many surf spots along this coast.
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Fonterra’s Whareroa site, front, just south of Hawera is the largest milk processing plant in the world. Mt Taranaki can be seen in the background. |
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With a coastline stretching from Okato in the north to the Waitotara River in the south, the district comprises a number of thriving communities.
Today, the district is home to 29,000 people and its intensively farmed, fertile plains form one of the most productive dairy regions in the world. Dairying is the heart of the local economy, courtesy of the world’s largest single-site milk processing factory near Hawera. The
operations of this Fonterra-owned plant are featured in the fascinating interactive displays at the nearby Dairyland Visitor Centre.
South Taranaki is also a district steeped in history. From Parihaka Pa – the home of the 19th century prophet Te Whiti and symbol of peace and passive resistance to Turuturu Mokai, scene of bloody battles and beheadings. Much of this rich history has been brought to life at what
is widely acclaimed to be the best private museum in the country – Tawhiti Museum - where life-size exhibits and scale models capture the past in a series of super realistic displays.
Don’t miss Opunake Beach, one of the region’s best beaches, a climb up Hawera’s mighty Water Tower, the thrill of Dam Dropping over the Waingongoro River or a trip to the awesome Tawhiti Museum.
Hawera
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Hawera’s iconic water tower stands sentry over the town. The tower was completed in 1914 and underwent a major restoration in 2004. |
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The flourishing rural town of Hawera, population approximately 9000, is the largest town in the South Taranaki district. The town takes its name from the Maori village of Te Hawera. Throughout its history, Hawera's key function has been to provide support and services to the farms that
surround the town.
The land was initially surveyed in 1866 to provide blocks of land for prospective military settlers and was founded on sheep and cattle farming at about that time. A sudden influx of dairy farmers to the area in the 1880s and 1890s secured Hawera's position as an important
service town. Dairying in the area remains an extremely significant contributor to New Zealand's export base and the New Zealand economy. The world-ranking dairy company Fonterra has the largest single-site dairy factory in the southern hemisphere just two kilometres south of the Hawera
township.
Manaia
The central South Taranaki town of Manaia is a busy rural town that services farms on some of New Zealand’s most highly-prized farmland.
Exporter Yarrows (the Bakers) head office and factory are located in the centre of Manaia. Since 1923, Yarrows has been operated by three generations of the Yarrow family and is now the largest privately owned bakery in New Zealand exporting to countries around the world.
In 2007, a 14-year-old Jack Russell Terrier called George died protecting five local children from an attack by two pit bull terriers. He was given a posthumous PDSA Gold Medal, the animal equivalent of the George Cross, at a special ceremony in Manaia in February 2009. The town has also
erected a statue in his honour.
Opunake
One of South Taranaki’s slices of paradise is the little vibrant coastal town of Opunake.
Murals throughout the town celebrate Opunake’s history and the importance of this coastal town’s link with the sea. People come from all around to experience Opunake Beach’s famous surf.
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Oil, or black gold, is another mainstay of South Taranaki’s economy. There are a number of off shore oil rigs around the coast. |
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Numerous celebrities and well-known New Zealanders were born or lived in this area. They include former Prime Minister Jim Bolger, All Blacks Graeme Mourie and Mark Robinson, Olympic middle-distance gold medallist Peter Snell, opera singer Dame Malvina Major and Lord Ernest Rutherford.
Lord Rutherford discovered the atomic nucleus and won the Nobel prize for Chemistry in 1908.
A statue of Peter Snell was unveiled on Saturday 19 May, 2007, to celebrate the fame of this son of Opunake.
Patea
Patea is a town rich in culture – with the whale bone sculpture ‘The Garden of Tutunui’, the monument of the Aotea waka and a brand new district museum being built in the main street (due to open in December). The outstanding Patea Maori Club and Dalvanius Prime put Patea
on the map forevermore with its eighties hit Poi-E.
Carlyle Beach and Mana Bay are very popular destinations for fishing, surfing and swimming today. Two lookouts at the beach provide spectacular views of the Tasman Sea and the magnificent South Taranaki coastline.
A few miles east of Patea is the small community of Whenuakura, where New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell lived as a child. He learned to play golf at the Patea Golf Club, on the cliffs overlooking the Tasman Sea. He crowned his professional career by winning the US Open in June 2005 and
three months later the HSBC World Match Play Championship.
Eltham
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Turi’s Waka, in Patea, commemorates the settlement of the area by Turi and his hapu. The canoe was erected in 1935. |
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A walk down Eltham’s Bridge Street is a walk through time. Buildings in the town are significant for their architecture and their importance to Eltham’s social and economic history and many of the buildings in the CBD are built in beautiful Victorian/Edwardian style
Eltham is known as a town of industrial firsts. New Zealand’s dairying sector had many starts here. Chinese businessman Chew Chong exported the country’s first butter from Eltham to England in 1884. He also built the first dairy factory in 1887. In 1906, the first Rennet company
was built in Eltham. In 1906, Eltham’s Bridge Street became the first tarsealed road in New Zealand, to handle the rapidly developing local economy. Dairying and cheesemaking in particular remain key focuses for this lovely little town. Mainland Cheese operates a large factory in
central Eltham that specializes in gourmet cheeses. These great cheeses can be sampled and purchased at the Taranaki-famous cheese-bar on Bridge Street.
Waverley
Waverley is the South Taranaki District’s southernmost town.
Waverley hosts many cafes and is a popular stopping point for those traveling south.
Waverley’s history is as rich and varied as that of most towns in the South Taranaki district.
Many of the streets are named after men of the Eight and Tenth Companies of the Taranaki Military Settlers. The settlers drew their land from the Okutuku Block.
The cottage of famous New Zealand writer and educator Rewi Alley is situated in the Moeawatea Valley, just north of Waverley. The cottage is a Category II Historic Place.
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Dairying is the mainstay of the district with South Taranaki having the largest number of cows per head of population in New Zealand. |
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The race horse Kiwi was trained in the paddocks of a Waverley sheep farm by owner Snow Lupton, and went on to go from last on the final bend to win the 1983 Melbourne Cup.
Well known for farm and thoroughbred stables.
Kaponga
Known as ‘The Gateway to Dawson Falls’, Kaponga is nestled at the base of Mt Taranaki.
The village was first settled in 1882, and has strong Swiss connections and is known as the Swiss Centre of New Zealand. In fact, some of the first settlers in the area were Swiss and in 1952 a Swiss Club was formed in the town.
In its heyday, Kaponga had two cheese factories and was a busy, thriving community. Kaponga now has a population of about 300.
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