Wairarapa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wairarapa (often known as "The Wairarapa") is a geographical region of New Zealand. It occupies the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service towns, with Masterton being the largest. It is named for Lake Wairarapa.
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[edit] Boundaries
The area is divided between the local government regions of Wellington, Manawatu-Wanganui, and Hawke's Bay.
The area south of Mt. Bruce is in the Greater Wellington Region. It contains the Masterton, Carterton and South Wairarapa Districts. It is separated from Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt cities by the Rimutaka Ranges.
The district's northern borders are vague, and there is some overlap with southern Hawke's Bay. Part of the reason is that the area was settled from both the north and the west and has been the subject of several reorganisations of local government.
The area to the north of Mt Bruce, extending through Pahiatua and Woodville to about Dannevirke, is part of the Tararua District and is in the Manawatu-Wanganui region, because it is in the catchment of the headwaters of the Manawatu River. The river runs westward between the two mountain ranges (Tararua Ranges to the south and Ruahine Ranges to the north) via the Manawatu Gorge, to pass through Palmerston North and reach the west coast of the North Island.
The east coast contains settlements such as Tinui, Castlepoint, and Riversdale, while the main southern rivers drain through or past Lake Wairarapa to discharge into Palliser Bay east of Cook Strait.
[edit] History
The name means "Glistening Waters", and is said to have been applied by an early Māori explorer, Huanui, who saw the rivers and lake from the mountains to the west.
Rangitane and Ngāti Kahungunu were the Māori tribes (iwi) in the area when European explorers arrived in the 1770s.
European settlement began in the early 1840s, initially on large grazing runs leased from Māori , and with closer settlement from the 1850s.
On January 23, 1855 the region was hit by the strongest earthquake recorded in New Zealand, which reached Magnitude 8.1 on the Richter Scale. There were five deaths.
[edit] Economy
The agricultural industries, including forestry, cropping, sheep and beef and dairy farming, are major land users. The area around Martinborough, in the south, is renowned for its vineyards and wine, while beer has been made at Mangatainoka, near Pahiatua, since 1889. Deer farming is growing in importance.
[edit] Transport
The region is well served by different transport modes. The State Highway 2, via Rimutaka Hill Road connects the region to Wellington in the south and the Manawatu in the north. The Wairarapa railway line connects the region via the Rimutaka Tunnel to Wellington, and connects with the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line at Woodville. Regular rail passenger services, named the Wairarapa Connection operate from Masterton to Wellington. These services are operated by Tranz Metro.
Many residents, especially in the western towns such as Featherston and Greytown, commute to work in Wellington, either by train or over the Rimutaka Ranges by car.
[edit] Wildlife
Many of New Zealand's endangered native birds can be seen at the National Wildlife Centre at Mt Bruce, which lies just south of Eketahuna.
[edit] The real New Zealand?
Eketahuna is considered by some to be the epitome of rural New Zealand towns.
[edit] Famous people born in Wairarapa
- Bob Charles, golfer, at Carterton.
- Keith Holyoake, Prime Minister of New Zealand, at Pahiatua.
- Maurice Wilkins, scientist, whose work led to the discovery of DNA, at Pongaroa.
- Vincent Ward, Film director, at Greytown (What dreams may come, The Navigator, Vigil, River Queen)
- Murray Halberg, Middle distance runner and Olympic gold medalist, at Eketahuna
- Sir Brian Lochore, All Black, at Masterton
- Raybon Kan, Comedian, at Masterton
- Mike Fabulous, member of The Black Seeds and Fly my Pretties
- Jess Carter, member of The Spice Rack Enquirer, born in Masterton
