Te Kauwhata is a small town in the north of the Waikato

Waikato

The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...

 region 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...

, situated close to the western shore of Lake Waikare

Lake Waikare

Lake Waikare is the largest of several shallow lakes in the upper floodplain of the Waikato River in New Zealand's North Island. It is a riverine lake, located to the east of Te Kauwhata and 40 kilometres north of Hamilton...

, some 40 km north of Hamilton

Hamilton, New Zealand

Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...

. Its population in 2006 was 1294.

Te Kauwhata is the site of a diverse range of farms, including dairy and dry stock, extensive onion and watermelon cultivation as well as a thriving town of approximately 13,000 (including surrounding areas). Of note is that Te Kauwhata, or TK as the locals say, is bordered by the largest swamp in the southern hemisphere, otherwise known as Whangamarino Swamp.

Eduacation wise, Te Kauwhata has a primary school, a College, which runs from years 7 through to year 13, and two early childhood learning centres. Te Kauwhata has numerous sporting venues, most notably the Local Rugby Football Club and Te Kauwhata College which collectively boast a selection of rugby and football fields, squash courts, netball courts, golf courses and cricket pitches. There is also a community fitness centre with gym and swimming pool, located at the College, a retirement village and an outdoor bowling green.

Viticulture

Te Kauwhata lies at the centre of one of New Zealand's smaller wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...

-producing regions, which stretches from Pukekohe

Pukekohe

Pukekohe is a town in the Auckland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located at the southern edge of the Auckland Region, it is approximately 50 kilometres south of Auckland City, between the southern shore of the Manukau Harbour and the mouth of the Waikato River. The hills of Pukekohe...

, just south of Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

, across to Thames

Thames, New Zealand

Thames is a town at the southwestern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the Firth of Thames close to the mouth of the Waihou River. The town is the seat of the Thames-Coromandel District Council....

 and Paeroa

Paeroa

Paeroa is a small town in New Zealand, in the northern Waikato region of the Thames Valley. Located at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula, it is close to the junction of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers, 20 kilometres from the coast at the Firth of Thames...

 at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula

Coromandel Peninsula

The Coromandel Peninsula lies in the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Waikato Region and Thames-Coromandel District and extends 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier to protect the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west...

. The region is particularly notable for its Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...

, Chardonnay

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...

 and Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...

 wines.

A government research station was set up in 1886 to explore different crop options. Romeo Bragato

Romeo Bragato

Romeo Alessandro Bragato played a significant role in the early development of the wine industry in New Zealand.-Early life and career:...

 took over the running of this station in 1901, with the first wine produced there in 1903. The research station is now in private hands, as part of Rongopai wines, which has been subsequently bought out by Babich Wines, but the original buildings are still in use as a cellar door.

Notable people from Te Kauwhata

• James Te-Huna
  James Te-Huna
  James Te-Huna is a New Zealand mixed martial artist who is currently competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.-Early career and background:Te-Huna is of Maori descent and became the first New Zealander to enter the UFC....
  
  (b. 1981) - First New Zealander to enter the UFC, 2010 (Ultimate Fighting Championships)