Akatarawa Valley
Encyclopedia
The Akatarawa Valley is a valley
in the Tararua Range
of New Zealand
's North Island
. It provides a link from the upper reaches of the Hutt Valley to Waikanae
on the Kapiti Coast
through rugged hill country. The valley is lowly populated and contains the localities of Reikorangi
and Cloustonville
. At the Hutt Valley end, the Akatarawa Valley is rugged and the Akatarawa River
flows through it. The terrain is less difficult at the Kapiti end, where the Waikanae River
flows through part of the valley on its route from its headwaters in the Tararuas to the Tasman Sea
, and is met in the valley by tributaries such as the Ngatiawa River
and the Reikorangi Stream
.
Many residents are craftspeople or gardeners, and some gardens are open for public viewing. Also located in the valley is a former Salvation Army
youth and family camp that has been upgraded and now operated by the Wellesley Group, and Staglands Wildlife Reserve, a conservation project established in 1972. It supports many native and rare birds, insects, and animals in conjunction with the New Zealand Department of Conservation
.
An early proposal for the North Island Main Trunk Railway's route out of Wellington featured a line deviating from the Hutt Valley Line portion of the Wairarapa Line
and running through the Akatarawa Valley to the west coast. This proposal was considered in the 1870s but abandoned when the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company chose a route directly out of Wellington via Johnsonville
and Porirua
. A railway through the Akatarawa Valley has not been seriously considered since this stage, though industrial tramway
s were built to serve private logging interests. The tramways and mills they served are now closed and little evidence remains of their existence.
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
in the Tararua Range
Tararua Range
The Tararua Range is one of several mountain ranges in the North Island of New Zealand which form a ridge running parallel with the east coast of the island between East Cape and Wellington....
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
. It provides a link from the upper reaches of the Hutt Valley to Waikanae
Waikanae
Waikanae is a small town on New Zealand's Kapiti Coast. The name is a Māori word meaning "The waters of the yellow eyed mullet". Another settlement called Waikanae Beach exists near Gisborne on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand....
on the Kapiti Coast
Kapiti Coast
The Kapiti Coast is the name of the section of the coast of the south-western North Island of New Zealand that is north of Wellington and opposite Kapiti Island. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Wellington Regional Council...
through rugged hill country. The valley is lowly populated and contains the localities of Reikorangi
Reikorangi
Reikorangi is a locality on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand's North Island. It is inland, behind Waikanae in the Akatarawa Valley of the Tararua Ranges. The Ngatiawa River and Reikorangi Stream both meet the Waikanae River in Reikorangi....
and Cloustonville
Cloustonville
Cloustonville is a small settlement in the Akatarawa Valley of New Zealand's North Island, north of Upper Hutt in the foothills of the Tararua Range. The 2006 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings recorded Cloustonville's population as 348, a rise of 24 people since the 2001 census...
. At the Hutt Valley end, the Akatarawa Valley is rugged and the Akatarawa River
Akatarawa River
The Akatarawa River is located in the lower North Island of New Zealand.It is a short river, flowing south for 20 kilometres through small rocky gorges and the Akatarawa Valley before joining the Hutt River at the northern end of Upper Hutt. Its eventual outflow is into Wellington Harbour, then...
flows through it. The terrain is less difficult at the Kapiti end, where the Waikanae River
Waikanae River
Waikanae River is located on the Kapiti Coast in the North Island of New Zealand.The river drains the western flanks of the Tararua Ranges around Reikorangi and the Akatarawa Valley, then passes to the south of the town of Waikanae before entering the Tasman Sea at Waikanae Beach. Tributaries...
flows through part of the valley on its route from its headwaters in the Tararuas to the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
, and is met in the valley by tributaries such as the Ngatiawa River
Ngatiawa River
The Ngatiawa River is a river on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island that is a major tributary of the Waikanae River. Its headwaters are in the Tararua Range and it flows north and northwest through the Akatarawa Valley to Reikorangi, where it meets the Waikanae River....
and the Reikorangi Stream
Reikorangi Stream
The Reikorangi Stream is a stream on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is one of the Waikanae River's major tributaries. Its headwaters are in the Tararua Ranges near Maungakotukutuku, and it flows north to Reikorangi in the Akatarawa Valley, where it meets the Waikanae River....
.
Many residents are craftspeople or gardeners, and some gardens are open for public viewing. Also located in the valley is a former Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
youth and family camp that has been upgraded and now operated by the Wellesley Group, and Staglands Wildlife Reserve, a conservation project established in 1972. It supports many native and rare birds, insects, and animals in conjunction with the New Zealand Department of Conservation
New Zealand Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...
.
An early proposal for the North Island Main Trunk Railway's route out of Wellington featured a line deviating from the Hutt Valley Line portion of the Wairarapa Line
Wairarapa Line
The Wairarapa Line is a secondary railway line in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city of Wellington with the Wairarapa region. The line ends at Woodville, where it joins the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line...
and running through the Akatarawa Valley to the west coast. This proposal was considered in the 1870s but abandoned when the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company chose a route directly out of Wellington via Johnsonville
Johnsonville, New Zealand
Johnsonville is a large suburb in northern Wellington, New Zealand. It is seven kilometres north of the city centre, at the top of the Ngauranga Gorge, on the main route to Porirua . The population of "J'ville" was about 6,500 at the 2001 census.- Public transport :Johnsonville is a reasonably...
and Porirua
Porirua
Porirua is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, immediately north of the city of Wellington, with their central business districts 20 km apart. A large proportion of the population commutes to Wellington, so it may be considered a satellite city. It almost completely surrounds...
. A railway through the Akatarawa Valley has not been seriously considered since this stage, though industrial tramway
Tramway (mineral)
Tramways are lightly laid railways, sometimes worked without locomotives. The term is in common use in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and elsewhere. In New Zealand, they are commonly known as bush tramways...
s were built to serve private logging interests. The tramways and mills they served are now closed and little evidence remains of their existence.
External links
- Staglands Wildlife Reserve - official website
- http://www.wellesleycountryclub.co.nz/