Waipukurau
Waipukurau, also known as Ypuk, is the largest town in the Central Hawke's Bay District on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 50 kilometres southwest of Hastings on the banks of the Tukituki River.
The town is close to the site of a Māori pa, from which it gets its name. The pa was situated on the town's main hill, named Pukekaihau. The name is said to mean water of pukerau, pukerau being a type of fungus. The town was the site of the first church in inland Hawke's Bay, built in 1847. Much of the town dates from a model village built by local land-owner H.R.Russell in 1867.
At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 4,008 compared with 4,002 in 1996
Employment
Most employment is seasonal related and is dependent on either the local meat processing plant owned by Ovation New Zealand Limited or surrounding local agricultural and horticultural industries.
The town is a farming based community and provides dairy, fruit, vegetable and meat exports.
Through the 1940s-1970s one of the town's main businesses was Denne Bros/Peter Pan Frozen Foods, well known throughout the country for their ice cream brand. The two factories were considered local landmarks. The company was the main employer of Waipukurau, as well the nearby township Waipawa in the 1950s and 1960s.
Climate
| Climate data for Waipukurau | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 23 (74) |
24 (75) |
22 (71) |
18 (65) |
15 (59) |
13 (55) |
12 (54) |
13 (55) |
16 (60) |
17 (63) |
20 (68) |
22 (72) |
17.9 (64.3) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 11 (52) |
12 (53) |
10 (50) |
8 (46) |
6 (42) |
3 (38) |
2 (36) |
3 (38) |
5 (41) |
7 (44) |
8 (47) |
10 (50) |
7.1 (44.8) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 74 (2.9) |
71 (2.8) |
46 (1.8) |
58 (2.3) |
91 (3.6) |
81 (3.2) |
79 (3.1) |
71 (2.8) |
53 (2.1) |
53 (2.1) |
50 (2) |
58 (2.3) |
785 (31) |
| Source: Weatherbase [1] | |||||||||||||
Notable residents
- Errol Brathwaite - author
- Andrew Williams - Former North Shore mayor
- Matt Berquist - professional rugby player
- Campbell Johnstone - professional rugby player
- Brendan Popplewell - Television Presenter - Trackside
- Robert Taylor - guitarist Dragon (band)
References
- ↑ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Waipukurau, New Zealand". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
External links
- Map of Waipukurau
- Central Hawkes Bay District Council
- 1966 New Zealand Encyclopedia Page
- Central Hawkes Bay Tourism Site
Coordinates: 39°59′42″S 176°33′25″E / 39.995°S 176.557°E