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Waikanae
Medium urban area
Kapiti Island seen from Waikanae Beach
Coordinates: 40°52′30″S 175°03′50″E / 40.87500°S 175.06389°E / -40.87500; 175.06389
Country	New Zealand
Region	Wellington Region
Territorial authority	Kāpiti Coast District
Ward	Waikanae Ward
Community	Waikanae Community
Electorates	Ōtaki Te Tai Hauāuru (Māori)
Government
• Territorial Authority	Kāpiti Coast District Council
• Regional council	Greater Wellington Regional Council
• Kāpiti Coast Mayor	Janet Holborow
• Ōtaki MP	Tim Costley
• Te Tai Hauāuru MP	Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Area
• Total	19.59 km (7.56 sq mi)
Population
• Total	13,150
• Density	670/km (1,700/sq mi)

Waikanae (English: /ˌwaɪkəˈnaɪ/, Māori pronunciation: [ˈwaikaˈnaɛ]) is a town on the Kāpiti Coast, 60 km (37 mi) north of the Wellington, New Zealand. The name is a Māori word meaning "waters" (wai) "of the grey mullet".

The area surrounding the town is notable for its 2.4-kilometre-long (1.5 mi) beach, the Waikanae River estuary, the Kapiti Marine Reserve, and Kapiti Island, which lies 4 km (2.5 mi) offshore in the Tasman Sea. The town is considered one of the top retirement destinations in the Wellington Region, because of its year-round mild temperatures, moderate rainfall, and less wind than Wellington.

The town is 8 km (5.0 mi) northeast of Paraparaumu, and 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Ōtaki. The Waikanae railway station, is the northernmost station in the Metlink passenger rail network linking with Wellington railway station in Central Wellington.

Geography

Waikanae lies in a setting of open farmland and forest between the Tasman Sea and the rugged Tararua Range. Prior to human settlement the Waikanae coastal plain comprised wetlands divided by a complex pattern of natural waterways and kohekohe wooded regions.

Together with its neighbouring settlement of Waikanae Beach, the town comprises a quiet locale, popular with families and retirees. Just north of Waikanae is the small community of Peka Peka.

The area surrounding the town is notable for its beach, the Waikanae River estuary and Kapiti Island, which lies 4 km (2.5 mi) offshore in the Tasman Sea. Waikanae Beach is approximately 2.4 km (1.5 mi) long from the Waikanae River estuary to the Waimeha Stream. The eastern section of the Kapiti Marine Reserve lies between Kapiti Island and Waikanae Beach, and adjoins the Waikanae Estuary Scientific Reserve. Whales and Hector's dolphins sometimes spotted on their migration routes through the narrow corridor.

Inland, to the east of Waikanae are the bush clad Hemi Matenga Reserve, the Tararua Ranges and the Akatarawa Valley, home to a conservation park, Staglands Wildlife Reserve & Cafe. A road through the valley over the Akatarawa Saddle provides a link with the Hutt Valley via Reikorangi and Cloustonville. The headwaters of the Waikanae River form where a number of streams converge in the inland Reikorangi Basin. From here the river runs through a gap in the foothills, across the coastal plain and sand dunes to the sea.

Climate

The Tararua Range provides shelter for Waikanae from the south and east, as does Kapiti Island from the west. The area accordingly escapes the heavy winds and storms of the neighbouring Cook Strait region. The shallow depths of Waikanae Beach produces a higher water temperature than the steeper coastlines of Wellington harbour to the south. The prevailing wind blows from the north-west, which drives rain-clouds inland to the ranges and results in high rainfalls during the winter and spring.

History and culture

Archaeological and ethnographical research suggests that Waikanae may have been first inhabited by the Waitaha moa-hunters as early as a thousand years ago. Successive waves of settlement by the Ngāti Apa, Rangitāne and Muaūpoko Iwi (tribal groups) ensured that the area continues to have major historic and mythological significance for the Māori people of New Zealand. See Kāpiti Coast for greater detail.

In 1824 Waikanae Beach was the embarkation point for a force of 2,000 to 3,000 fighters from coastal Iwi, who assembled with the intention of taking Kapiti Island from the Ngāti Toa led by Te Rauparaha. Crossing the strait in a fleet of waka canoes under shelter of darkness, the attackers were met and destroyed as they disembarked at the northern end of Kapiti Island.

Marae

Whakarongotai Marae is located in Waikanae. It is a marae (social and cultural meeting ground) for Te Atiawa ki Whakarongotai and includes the Whakarongotai or Puku Mahi Tamariki wharenui (meeting house).

Reserves

Waikanae Beach is a habitat for terns, seagulls, oystercatchers, and stilts. Inland wetlands provide habitat for pūkeko, crake and New Zealand dabchicks. White fronted herons, tūī and shags range across the coastal plain. The ready availability of both birdlife and seafood encouraged early Māori settlement of the area. Introduced species such as ducks and black swans have also flourished over the last century.

Wildlife reserves

The Waikanae Estuary Scientific Reserve is a nationally–significant reserve located at the mouth of the Waikanae River. The reserve was established in 1987 to protect the large number of bird species that use the area.

The Ngā Manu Nature Reserve is a 14 hectares (35 acres) reserve located north of the town. It preserves the largest remnant of coastal lowland swamp forest on the Kāpiti Coast, and is a popular visitor attraction. Pharazyn Reserve is located to the north of the Waikanae Beach settlement, adjacent to the Te Harakeke Swamp, a regionally significant area of harakeke and raupō wetland. The site was originally established as a sewage treatment plant in the 1970s, but was decommissioned in 2002. A long term environmental restoration project was commenced to restore the site as a recreation and wildlife reserve. The site is now described as one of the top 10 birdwatching sites in the Wellington region.

Hemi Matenga Memorial Scenic Reserve

To the east of Waikanae is the heavily forested 330 ha (820 acres) Hemi Matenga Reserve covering a range overlooking the town itself. Rising to 514 metres above sea level, the forest comprises one of the most extensive areas of kohekohe woodland left in New Zealand. The reserve was named after its former owner; Hemi Matenga Waipunahau of the Ngāti Toa, following his death in 1912. It is traversed by several walking tracks and forms an extension of the Tararua Range.

Demographics

Waikanae is defined by Statistics New Zealand as a medium urban area and covers 19.59 km (7.56 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 13,150 as of June 2024, with a population density of 671.26 people per km.

Before the 2023 census, the town had a larger boundary, including Peka Peka and covering 29.61 km (11.43 sq mi). Using that boundary, Waikanae had a population of 12,711 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 1,605 people (14.5%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 2,148 people (20.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 5,460 households, comprising 5,853 males and 6,858 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.85 males per female, with 1,881 people (14.8%) aged under 15 years, 1,344 (10.6%) aged 15 to 29, 4,845 (38.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 4,632 (36.4%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 90.9% European/Pākehā, 9.2% Māori, 2.1% Pasifika, 4.5% Asian, and 2.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

The percentage of people born overseas was 24.9, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 48.8% had no religion, 41.3% were Christian, 0.3% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 1.9% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 2,766 (25.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,635 (15.1%) people had no formal qualifications. 1,938 people (17.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 4,011 (37.0%) people were employed full-time, 1,482 (13.7%) were part-time, and 279 (2.6%) were unemployed.

It was forecast in 2012 that Waikanae's relative abundance of unoccupied land and recent or pending improvements in transport links will lead to a population increase to about 15,000 by 2032.

Government

Local government for the town is provided by the Kāpiti Coast District Council. Waikanae is one of the five electoral wards of the District Council. The Waikanae Community Board represents the area from Waikanae Downs in the south through to Te Horo in the north. The community board has an advocacy role, and also administers local grant funding.

Greater Wellington Regional Council is responsible for regional governance of the district and the wider region, including public transport, water and environmental management.

Facilities

The central Waikanae village includes two supermarkets, the Toi Mahara gallery, three bank branches, a health centre, three pharmacies, a post shop, a war memorial hall, a smaller community hall, the Kapiti Coast Museum, a church, a public library, a cinema and a number of other shops, restaurants, and businesses. There are two primary schools (see below), a golf course, bowling club, Waikanae Park rugby and cricket ground, and several retirement centres.

Mahara Gallery is an art gallery opened in 1996. It was renovated in 2023 and renamed "Toi Mahara".

Te Araroa (the country's long-distance walking trail) leads through Waikanae.

Housing

Waikanae is the largest of the 14 residential suburbs which lie within the Territorial Authority of the Kāpiti Coast, in terms of the total number of residential properties. The greater portion of Waikanae's houses were constructed during the period 1970–1979.

Development of numerous private gardens has led at one point to Waikanae having one of the highest levels of water consumption per head of population in New Zealand. The community draws its water from the single source of the Waikanae River, and seasonal shortages during the warmer months of the year constitute a growing problem for the area. Planning for new residential development has specifically included the need to meet water supply needs.

Transport

The town is located on State Highway 1 and the North Island Main Trunk railway. In February 2017 the Kāpiti Expressway was opened to enable State Highway 1 to bypass the centre of the township. The opening of the Transmission Gully Motorway increased accessibility to the town for commuters travelling to and from Wellington.

The town is the current northern terminus of the Kapiti Line for the Metlink commuter rail service. This service has operated since February 2011, into the newly rebuilt Waikanae Railway Station. The new Matangi electric multiple units entered service at the same time in 2011. Prior to that, the only direct commuter train to Wellington was the Capital Connection from Palmerston North which still leaves for Wellington in the morning and returns in the evening en route to Palmerston North.

Local bus services link Waikanae Village with Waikanae Beach and Ōtaki.

Local media

A radio station Beach FM 106.3 broadcasts from Waikanae Village, covering the Kāpiti and Horowhenua districts. Two local newspapers provide coverage of the Kāpiti region.

Education

Waikanae School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of 522 as of August 2024.

Kapakapanui School is also a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of 556.

Notable people

• Erunui Matioro Te Tupe-o-Tu: retired to Waikanae after a life as a tribal leader, warrior, whaler, slaver, and sealer; during the early colonial period from the 1820s to the 1850s.
• Jim Bolger, former New Zealand Prime Minister, currently lives in Waikanae.
• Mary Cresswell, poet

See also

• Waikanae River

References

1. ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
2. "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
3. ^ Harris, Catherine (9 June 2012). "Satellite City". Dominion Post.
4. "1000 Māori place names". New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 6 August 2019.
5. "Waikanae Beach". WellingtonNZ. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
6. "Marine Reserve Boundaries - Guardians of Kāpiti Marine Reserve". 23 June 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
7. "Threatened species in Kapiti Marine Reserve". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
8. Maclean & Maclean 2010, pp. 145–146.
9. Maclean & Maclean 2010, p. 18.
10. Chris Maclean, p.113, "Kapiti", ISBN 0-473-06166-X
11. "Whakarongotai Marae "Hear the whispering tide"". Kapiti Coast District Council. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
12. "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". tkm.govt.nz. Te Puni Kōkiri.
13. "Māori Maps". maorimaps.com. Te Potiki National Trust.
14. Maclean & Maclean 2010, p. 217.
15. "Waikanae Estuary Scientific Reserve". www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
16. Boyack, Nicholas (22 January 2024). "Waikanae reserve gets international support". The Post. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
17. Wade, Pamela (8 May 2022). "World Famous in New Zealand: Ngā Manu Nature Reserve, Waikanae". Stuff. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
18. "Ngā Manu Trust - Ngā Manu". Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
19. "Top ten Wellington birding sites" (PDF). Birds New Zealand (2): 11. June 2014.
20. N.Z. Department of Conservation publication "Hemi Matenga Memorial Park Scenic Reserve"
21. Ombler, Kathy (2001). Walking Wellington. pp. 153–157. ISBN 1-87724-647-6.
22. "Hemi Matenga Scenic Reserve". WellingtonNZ. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
23. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Waikanae Beach (236800), Peka Peka (236900), Waikanae Park (237200), Waikanae West (237600) and Waikanae East (238100).
24. 2018 Census place summary: Waikanae Beach
25. 2018 Census place summary: Peka Peka
26. 2018 Census place summary: Waikanae Park
27. 2018 Census place summary: Waikanae West
28. 2018 Census place summary: Waikanae East
29. "Waikanae Community Board". Kāpiti Coast District Council. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
30. "Community boards". Kāpiti Coast District Council. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
31. "Toi MAHARA". Toi MAHARA gallery for the Kāpiti Coast. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
32. "Grey backlash to proposed Westpac closure in Waikanae where median age is 62 | Stuff.co.nz". 25 August 2016.
33. "Kapiti Coast Museum – Museums are the links between our history, our heritage and our future". Kapiti Coast Museum. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
34. "Mahara Gallery". Mahara Gallery.
35. "Mahara Gallery on NZ Museums". nzmuseums.co.nz. Te Papa.
36. "New gallery the realisation of lofty goals". NZ Herald. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
37. "OneRoof". Archived from the original on 14 June 2020.
38. Maclean & Maclean 2010, p. 121.
39. Haxton, David (16 February 2017). "Mackays to Peka Peka Expressway north of Wellington opens". Kapiti News. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
40. "Waikanae Primary School". Waikanae School. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
41. "Waikanae School Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
42. "Waikanae School Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
43. "Kapakapanui School". kapanui.school.nz. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
44. "Kapakapanui School - School Profile". Ministry of Education. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
45. "Kapakapanui School". Education Review Office. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
46. "Eruini Te Tupe-o-Tū | Te Papa's Blog". 12 August 2013.
47. "Five things you need to know about former Prime Minister Jim Bolger". Newshub. 6 June 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
48. "Kāpiti's Poem Of The Week — From Mary Cresswell". Kapiti Independent News. 22 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2024.

Sources cited

• Maclean, Chris; Maclean, Joan (2010). Waikanae (2nd ed.). Whitcombe Press. ISBN 978-0-473-16597-0.

External links

• Waikanae Village website
• Regional website
• Paragraph on Waikanae c1897 from The Cyclopedia of New Zealand
• Photo of Waikanae c1897 from The Cyclopedia of New Zealand
• Photo of Maori Meeting House Waikanae c1897 from The Cyclopedia of New Zealand
• Kapiti Visitor Information Centre

• Waikanae
• Populated places in the Wellington Region
• Kāpiti Coast District