Wainuiomata

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A 3d View of Wainuiomata as seen from above Sunny Grove looking North

Wainuiomata is a suburban town located within the city limits of Lower Hutt - part of the Wellington urban area - in the lower North Island of New Zealand. It is located six kilometres to the southeast of the Lower Hutt CBD, and has a population of around 16,000.

Wainuiomata is isolated enough from the rest of the city by the Eastern Hutt Hills to be considered a town in its own right by most New Zealanders, and was officially a separate district for about a year until local government reorganisation in 1989.

The isolated nature of the Wainuiomata valley was a problem for early settlers. Narrow hill routes into the settlement were the only access during the 1850s and 1860s. The town's economy in these early days was largely based around timber milling from the forests around the Wainuiomata River. A flax mill was based around the north of the town, but this proved uneconomic.

Once the forests started to be cleared, sheep and dairy farming became an important part of the local economy. The settlement started to grow into a proper town in the 1920s, but the major growth was after World War II, when many young couples moved to the valley, attracted by the affordable housing.

The town is surrounded on three sides by hills. The topography reduces local wind flow resulting in lower minimum temperatures in winter and higher maximum temperatures in summer, than most other parts of Wellington and the Hutt Valley.

Wainuiomata maintains a very strong community spirit, and residents can access a wide range of local retail and community services.

The Orongorongo Valley is accessed via the Wainuiomata Valley and is well known for its bush walks and native scenery.

An aerial view of the Wainuiomata Valley. The Hutt Valley and Wellington Harbour can be seen to the left and Moores Valley is to the right

[edit] Trivia

The Australian NRL Grand Final in 2005 saw each team containing a former member of the Wainuiomata Rugby League Club.
The first series of Seven_Periods_with_Mr_Gormsby was shot in the old Wainuiomata College and many cast members were local residents[1].