Ngaere

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Ngaere is a village situated on SH3, 4 kilometres south of Stratford, New Zealand. The name Ngaere literally means "swamp" in English. At one point in time, the name was spelt "Ngaire", but was changed to its Maori spelling in the late 20th century.

[edit] Attractions

"Ngaere Gardens", which once hosted a menagerie of exotic animals, was a popular picnic spot for early 19th century families. Several attempts at resurrecting the gardens have been to no avail. The gardens have now been cleared and all that remains is the large lake.

Another "famous in NZ" landmark is the Ngaere Dairy Factory, founded in 1914. It had its own brand of cheese called "Triumph". Since its closure, the factory has been put to many uses - a clothing factory, indoor cricket arena, rave dance hall, and currently a saw mill.

Ngaere formerly had a service station, which closed in the 1990's. The building has been put to a variety of uses, including a boutique brewery, a health shop, and currently a motorcycle repair shop. "Fred's Place" is a store also well known for its antiques.

[edit] Local Legends

Maori legend says that the Ngaere swamp was formed when Mt. Taranaki stopped and wept on its journey to its current resting place. Most of the swamp was drained in the early 19th century for dairy farming.