District Information

Waitarere Beach, one of the best-kept secrets of the North Island's west coast is regarded as the place to go when you want to get away from it all. Within easy commuting distance from Wellington (New Zealand's Capital City), and from nearby Palmerston North, Waitarere Beach is an ideal spot for either a weekend getaway or as a permanent residence. The Waitarere Beach community includes a well-stocked Four Square Store, takeaways, café and restaurant. Levin, the nearest town, is 10 minute's easy drive should you need something more. Waitarere Beach is wide and sandy, allowing plenty of room for all your favourite beach activities including land yachts, four-wheel motor bikes, surfing and fishing. The beach slowly drops off into deep water so there's plenty of safe paddling space for the youngsters, and during the summer months the surf club set up patrol. Waitarere Beach is also a popular fishing spot where Kahawai, Snapper, Groper, Gurnard, Flounder and Sole are the most common catches. The large, flat beach is ideal to back your boat into with a tractor or a four-wheel drive. During the Whitebait season you can find a spot to sit your net at the Manawatu or the Ohau river mouths. A well-established forest surrounds Waitarere Beach and is host to several popular annual events such as the 'Great Forest Marathon'. Orienteering and Mountain biking also make use of the forest floor and bring in a lot of interest from outside the Horowhenua. The forest is a popular spot to walk your dog and with the many tracks cutting through to the beach, you can enjoy the forest one way and the beach on the way back! Come and discover for yourself the peace and tranquillity of this waterfront paradise that is Waitarere Beach.

Shannon is a small rural township servicing a farming community. It’s located on State Highway 57 just 1.5 hours from both Wellington and Wanganui, and 30 minutes from Palmerston North. In the foothills east of the township is the historic Mangahao Power Station, and the site of the largest flax mill in New Zealand is just to the north. Visit Owlcatraz Tourist and Educational Park, the historic Railway Station, or browse through the shops and relax over coffee.

Foxton Beach is a small settlement in the Horowhenua District of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the South Taranaki Bight at the mouth of the Manawatu River, 35 kilometres southwest of Palmerston North, and six kilometres west of Foxton. Foxton Beach has a permanent population of around 2000 people. The town is a popular holiday destination due mainly to its beach and the bird sanctuary in the Manawatu River estuary.

Levin is a town in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand, and is the largest town in the Horowhenua district. It is on State Highway 1 and the North Island Main Trunk railway, 90km north of Wellington, 50km south of Palmerston North, and two kilometres to the east of Lake Horowhenua. The town was named after William Hort Levin, a director of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company. The name is a variation of the Jewish clan Levi. It is a shibboleth - unlike the usual pronunciation of the surname, stress is placed on the second syllable of the word. The name thus rhymes with the word 'begin'. The town's Maori name is Taitoko. Levin is a service centre for the surrounding rural area, and a centre of light manufacturing. According to the 2006 census, the resident population was 19,137, an increase of 0.5% from 2001. Over 20% of inhabitants were listed as over the age of 65, a considerably higher percentage than the national average. The town celebrated its centenary in 2006.

Foxton is a town in the Horowhenua region of New Zealand. The 2001 census population was 4617. It is located on the lower west cost of the North Island. The town is in the Horowhenua district, 30 kilometres southwest of Palmerston North and 15 kilometres north of Levin. The town is located close to the banks of the Manawatu River. The small coastal settlement of Foxton Beach is located six kilometres to the west, close to the river's mouth.

History

Foxton was named after Sir William Fox, and has a history of flax stripping, which was used to make rope, baskets and other tools. Other industries associated with the town have included clothing manufacture and sawmilling. Foxton is the oldest settlement in the southern Manawatu, although it was not always sited where it currently is. The original site of the town was to the east, closer to the present town of Shannon in 1842. The town was moved to its present site in 1885. In the early years of European settlement it was an important trading post and it was only with the advent of the Palmerston North-Wellington railway that Palmerston North began to overtake it as the most important centre in the Manawatu. The central government originally intended for Foxton to be on the route of the main line from Wellington to Auckland via Palmerston North and a tramway linking Foxton and Palmerston North was upgraded into the Foxton Branch railway in the 1870s. However, due to government delays on extending the line further south, a group of Wellingtonian businessmen established the Wellington and Manawatu Railway (WMR) and built their line along a more direct route that bypassed Foxton. When this line opened in 1886, Foxton's status as a port slipped, and this position deteriorated further when the WMR was incorporated into the government's national rail network in 1908. Shipping via Foxton ceased in 1942 and the railway closed in 1959.

Otaki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District of the North Island of New Zealand, situated half way between the capital city Wellington, 70 kilometres to the southwest, and Palmerston North, 70 kilometres to the northeast. It marks the northernmost point of the Wellington Region. The town's population is 5600 (2001 Census). It is located on State Highway 1 and the North Island Main Trunk railway on their routes between Te Horo and Levin. The town is sited close to the banks of the Otaki River, some three kilometres from its outflow into the Tasman Sea. It is divided into three main parts, Otaki Beach which is a mainly residential area, the larger and more inland Otaki township which contains shops and residential areas and along State Highway 1 near the railway station, the part known as Otaki Railway. The surrounding district is largely agricultural, with market gardens, and the economy of the town is largely based around service industries for the farming community. In the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by Māori of the Ngati Raukawa iwi who had migrated from the Kāwhia area from about 1819, under the leadership of Te Rauparaha. They had supplanted the Rangitāne and Muaupoko people. The nearby Raukawa marae is one of the points of interest of the area, along with one of the country's oldest churches, Rangiatea, which dates from 1846. Inland from the township is a racecourse where the annual Otaki Maori Races are held.

Te Horo and Te Horo Beach are two localities on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. Te Horo Beach is the larger of the two settlements and, as its name implies, is located on the Tasman Sea coast. Te Horo is located to the east, a short distance inland. They are situated between Peka Peka and Waikanae to the south and Otaki to the north. "Te Horo" in the Māori language means "the landslide".

Transport

Te Horo is situated on the North Island's main road and rail routes, State Highway 1 and the North Island Main Trunk Railway. The railway was built by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR) as part of its Wellington - Manawatu Line that opened on 1 December 1886 with a station in Te Horo. The WMR was incorporated into the New Zealand Railways Department's national network on 8 December 1908, and the railway station has since closed. A commuter train, the Capital Connection, operates between Palmerston North and Wellington on weekdays but Te Horo passengers must board it in Otaki or Waikanae. Te Horo Beach is situated off major transport routes and is accessible by a local road, Te Horo Beach Road, that leaves State Highway 1 in Te Horo.

Waikanae (pronounced Why-kah-nye) is a small town on New Zealand's Nature Coast. The name is a Māori word meaning "The waters of the yellow eyed mullet". Another settlement called Waikanae Beach exists near Gisborne on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The town is about 60 kilometres north of Wellington, New Zealand's capital city, and is between the towns of Paraparaumu, eight kilometres to the southwest, and Otaki, 15 kilometres to the northeast.

Transport

Waikanae and its neighbouring settlement of Waikanae Beach serve as quiet places for families and older people. Many new cafes have opened up in Waikanae and Waikanae Beach to service both the locals and visitors to the beautiful Kapiti Coast. Just north of Waikanae is the small settlement of Peka Peka. The town and surrounding area is most noted for its beautiful beach and river mouth, which is opposite the long form of Kapiti Island, which lies four kilometres offshore in the Tasman Sea. The waters between Waikanae Beach and Kapiti Island are a marine reserve, and whales are sometimes spotted on their migration routes through the narrow corridor. The beach itself is composed of black sand, but is still great for water sports and long walks. Inland, behind Waikanae, are the Tararua Ranges and the Akatarawa Valley, home to a popular conservation park, Staglands Wildlife Reserve. A road through the valley provides a link with the Hutt Valley via Reikorangi and Cloustonville.

Geography

Waikanae and its neighbouring settlement of Waikanae Beach serve as quiet places for families and older people. Many new cafes have opened up in Waikanae and Waikanae Beach to service both the locals and visitors to the beautiful Kapiti Coast. Just north of Waikanae is the small settlement of Peka Peka. The town and surrounding area is most noted for its beautiful beach and river mouth, which is opposite the long form of Kapiti Island, which lies four kilometres offshore in the Tasman Sea. The waters between Waikanae Beach and Kapiti Island are a marine reserve, and whales are sometimes spotted on their migration routes through the narrow corridor. The beach itself is composed of black sand, but is still great for water sports and long walks. Inland, behind Waikanae, are the Tararua Ranges and the Akatarawa Valley, home to a popular conservation park, Staglands Wildlife Reserve. A road through the valley provides a link with the Hutt Valley via Reikorangi and Cloustonville.

Paraparaumu (typically pronounced "Para-para-oo-moo", although the correct pronunciation is "Para-pa-raow-moo") is a town in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It lies in the Kapiti Coast, 50 kilometres north of the nation's capital city, Wellington. Like other towns in the area, it has a partner settlement at the coast called Paraparaumu Beach, which lies directly opposite Kapiti Island. The two towns form part of the Kapiti Coast District. Together with the nearby Raumati Beach and Raumati South they are among the fastest-growing urban areas in New Zealand, and are major dormitory towns with workers commuting to the cities that make up the Wellington urban area. The four towns between them have a population of over 25,000 people. Inland behind Paraparaumu is the Maungakotukutuku area. Paraparaumu is home to the Kapiti Coast's largest secondary school, Paraparaumu College, with Kapiti College residing in nearby Raumati Beach and Otaki College in Otaki. Paraparaumu means "scraps from an earth oven" in Māori. It is commonly abbreviated to "Para-Param", particularly by longer-term residents of European ethnicity, and simply "Pram" by local youth. Paraparaumu is a popular shopping centre with the quaint village atmosphere by the beach complementing the vast range of products on offer at Coastlands Shopping town. It has a wonderful beach with a real carnival atmosphere and is the venue for many events throughout the year. Kapiti Island and Paraparaumu Beach Golf Links: two very different attractions but both world renowned. The famous island landmark is home to some of the most endangered native birds, yet it is one of the few relatively accessible island nature reserves in New Zealand. The Paraparaumu Beach Links Golf Course is the only New Zealand course in the world top 100.

Transport

Paraparaumu is located on the North Island Main Trunk Railway. It is the northern terminus of the electrified Wellington commuter railway network operated by Tranz Metro under the Metlink brand. This electrified portion between Wellington Railway Station and Paraparaumu Station is labelled the Paraparaumu Line, and proposals exist to extend the electrification and commuter services to Lindale and Waikanae. NZR EM class electric multiple units operate the commuter trains. Beyond Paraparaumu, Tranz Scenic operates two diesel-hauled long distance services: the Capital Connection between Palmerston North and Wellington, and the Overlander between Auckland and Wellington. Both trains stop at Paraparaumu.

Raumati is the name of two neighbouring places on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. They are located 50-60 km north-east of Wellington, and immediately to the south-west of the larger town of Paraparaumu. The Maungakotukutuku area is located immediately behind Raumati. Raumati Beach is the northern of the two, both of which are popular seaside settlements on the coast of Cook Strait, within sight of the Tasman Sea. It has a population of 4,100. The town's main landmark is Kapiti College, in which Peter Jackson (New Zealand Filmmaker) and Christian Cullen (Rugby Union Footballer) received their education. The main primary education provider is Raumati Beach Primary School. The Wharemauku Stream meets the sea in Raumati Beach on the northern side of Raumati Marine Gardens. This park is a popular recreation location: it features a ridable miniature railway and indoor, heated swimming pools that serve as the primary public pools for the surrounding area. The local soccer club, Kapiti Coast United, plays at Weka Park in Raumati Beach. Two kilometres further south is Raumati South, which has a population of 3,200. To the south of this town, between it and the town of Paekakariki, is the Queen Elizabeth Park, a 12 km² regional park used during the filming of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, where it represented Pelennor Fields. Raumati South is known for its alternative lifestyle, and is very arty. The main primary education provider is Raumati South Primary School. There is also a Steiner school called 'Te Ra' located on Poplar Avenue.

Paekakariki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. It is 22 km north of Porirua and 45 km north-east of Wellington, the nation's capital city. Paekakariki's population at the 2001 New Zealand census was 1731. The town's name in Māori means "perching place of the kakariki (green parrot)". Paekakariki lies on a narrowing of the thin coastal plain between the Tasman Sea and the Akatarawa Ranges (a spur of the Tararua Ranges) and was an important transportation node. To the south, State Highway 1 climbs towards Porirua; to the north the plains extend inland from the Kapiti Coast; at Paekakariki the highway and North Island Main Trunk Railway run close together between the coast and hills

History

Immediately prior to European settlement the area had a violent history, due mainly to the presence of the great Māori warrior leader Te Rauparaha, whose pa was on nearby Kapiti Island. He died in 1849, the same year that a road connecting Paekakariki with Porirua was completed. Paekakariki's history has been intimately linked with the railway, and there is a museum at the railway station commemorating this heritage. In 1886 the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company's line from Wellington to Longburn was completed, and Paekakariki became an important stop on the journey. In 1908, the line was incorporated into the national network of the New Zealand Railways Department and became part of the North Island Main Trunk linking Wellington and Auckland, the North Island's most important line. In 1917, NZR withdrew dining cars from its passenger trains due to World War I economic difficulties and Paekakariki became a main refreshment stop on the trip north; originally a temporary measure, the dining cars did not return for decades and Paekakariki's status remained until the 1960s. The locomotive depot gradually declined in importance due to changing motive power, and nowadays only EM class electric multiple units are stabled here. The old steam locomotive depot is now the location of "The Engine Shed", the base of Steam Incorporated, one of New Zealand's premier railway preservation societies. The Paekakariki Station Precinct Trust has been established to manage the station area, including the museum and Steam Incorporated's depot, and firmly establish it as a historical and tourist attraction.