Totara Park

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Totara Park is a suburb of Upper Hutt, New Zealand, and is situated off State Highway 2, and is accessed via the Totara Park Bridge which crosses the Hutt River. It was popular in the 1970s and 1980s for families moving into the Upper Hutt area.

Most of the streets in Totara Park are named after States, towns and Cities of the North American United States, with the main road running through the suburb being California Drive.

Totara Park is built on alluvial gravel, with many of the geological faults that run through New Zealand running through the Totara Park area. Itself being near the northern most point of the Hutt Valley.

The Maori names for this area are Te Hau-karetu and for the Hutt River itself; Heretaunga, and Awa Kaiangi.

[edit] Points of interest

Was the western side to an ornate suspension bridge opened in 1917. Maoribank Bridge, originally being able to carry automobiles and trucks, eventually was used for pedestrians only, and finally collapsing in a medium flood in the early 1990s. A new modern type suspension bridge was then built on the northern side towards Brown Owl.

The river surrounding the original suspension bridge was a popular picnic and swimming spot for the entire region.

A high point along the western side of the valley is named Cannon Point, this is due to an old fallen tree resembling a cannon that was once there.

Totara Grove was the name for the entire eastern side of the upper valley, due to the Totara trees that grew there.