South Taranaki District Council
- Main Office
- Profile
- Media Contact
- Plans and Policies
- Personnel
- Elected Members
- Management Team
- Service Centres
- Public Facilities
- Community Boards & Committees
The South Taranaki District catchphrase is “Real Energy” and that doesn’t just apply to the region’s major on and offshore gas and oil resources. Wedged between Mt Taranaki’s majestic cone and the Tasman Sea, South Taranaki boasts sufficient outdoor pursuits to satisfy even the the most hyperactive local or visitor.
The mountain and the encircling Egmont National Park offer enough tramping, bush walking and mountaineering opportunities to fill any stay and if you add mountainbiking, superb troutfishing, winter skiing plus the availability of excellent alpine lodge accommodation and fine dining, you have a complete holiday destination.
Superlative mountain and bush scenery is only part of the district’s attraction though. The rugged coastline is also a photographer’s dream, its rocky headlands and cliffs interspersed with black sand coves and broad, bach-lined beaches.
The ever-present Tasman swells mean the surf is usually pumping somewhere (if not everywhere) and with a range of point and beach breaks to choose from (there are more than 40 recognised surf spots along the 106 kilometres of “Surf Highway” between Hawera and New Plymouth). Sea breezes are another west coast constant, making these clean, clear blue waters a Mecca for wind and kite surfers.
The coast is also renowned for its kai moana, with great surfcasting (for snapper and kahawai in particular) and tempting paua, kina, mussels and crayfish hidden in the shallows.
Around these outstanding natural assets, a “soft” adventure tourism industry has emerged to guide visitors safely and assuredly to the best the district has to offer. The area’s highly experienced mountaineering and skiing guides are an excellent option in an environment which, from a distance, looks deceptively tame. The volcanic cone’s seemingly gentle slopes are rent by steep-sided fissures and together with quickly changing weather patterns (even in summer) can bring sudden danger to the unwary or inadequately equipped adventurer.
Guided surfing safaris are also a great way for beginners to learn this exhilarating sport, and for more experienced visiting board riders to find the best breaks and avoid the potential hazards of unknown rocks and tidal currents.
Kayaking, four-wheel drive safaris and a downhill mountainbiking adventure are other options where a little expert help is recommended, but for something entirely different, try “dam dropping”, a homegrown adventure where thrill seekers slide down a seven-metre spillway on specially designed boards.
Long-dormant Mount Taranaki and its associated vents are responsible for another significant asset. The region’s rich volcanic soils have attracted waves of migrants to the area over many centuries, beginning with the chieftain Turi and his people, who settled in Patea after their arrival from Hawaiiki (via Kawhia) on the great Aotea canoe.
This region was jealously guarded against invaders as the remains of numerous fortified Maori sites attest. Turuturu Mokai (literally dried heads on stakes), a major pa site near Hawera, is regarded as one of the country’s best preserved, pre-European fortifications and a “must” for history buffs. So too is Parihaka, the pa of Te Whiti the great Maori pacifist of the late 19th Century.
Today, the district is home to 29,000 people and its intensively farmed, fertile plains form one of the most productive dairy regions in the world. Dairying is the heart of the local economy, courtesy of the world’s largest single-site milk processing factory near Hawera. The operations of this Fonterra-owned plant are featured in the fascinating interactive displays at the nearby Dairyland Visitor Centre.
For information about business, lifestyle or tourism opportunities in this progressive and genuinely welcoming area, contact the South Taranaki District Council or Information South Taranaki.
South Taranaki District Council Private Bag 902, Hawera Tel. 0800 111 323, Fax. 06 278 8757
Information South Taranaki 55 High Street, Hawera Tel. 06 278 8599, Fax. 06 278 6599 Email: visitorinfo@stdc.govt.nz
Main Office | |
| Street Address 105-109 Albion Street Hawera | Postal Address Private Bag 902 Hawera |
| Phone Number +64 6 278 0555 or 0800-111-323 |
Fax Number +64 6 278 8757 |
Profile | |
| Web Address | http://www.stdc.co.nz |
| Email Address | contact@stdc.govt.nz |
| Area in square Kms | 3,575.54 |
| Number of rateable properties | 13,882 |
| Rateable Capital Value | $ 4,623,922,800 |
| Rateable Land Value | $ 2,956,552,600 |
| Maps | Maps |
| Meetings | Meetings Schedule |
Media Contact | |
| Name Gerard Langford |
Phone 0800 111 323 |
| Mobile Number 0274951166 |
Email gerard.langford@stdc.govt.nz |
Plans and Policies |
| Plans and Reports |
| Policies |
| Bylaws |
Personnel
Elected Members |
| Elected Representatives |
Management Team |
| Management |
Service Centres
| Hawera Administration Building | |
| Street Address 105-109 Albion Street Hawera |
Postal Address Private Bag 902 Hawera |
| Phone +64 6 278 0555 or 0800-111-323 |
Fax +64 6 278 8757 |
| Website http://www.stdc.co.nz |
|
Public Facilities | |
| Public Facilities | |
Community Boards & Committees |
| Community Boards |
