Waverley is a small town located in the South Taranaki District

South Taranaki District

South Taranaki is a territorial authority on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island that contains the towns of Hawera, Manaia, Opunake, Patea, Eltham, and Waverley...

 in 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...

. It is 44 km northwest of Wanganui

Wanganui

Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....

. Patea

Patea

Patea is the third-largest town in South Taranaki, New Zealand. It is on the western bank of the Patea River, 61 kilometres north-west of Wanganui on State Highway 3. Hawera is 27 km to the north-west, and Waverley 17 km to the east. The Patea River flows through the town from the...

 is 17 km to the west, and Waitotara

Waitotara

Waitotara is a town in South Taranaki, New Zealand. Waverley is 10 km to the north-west, and Wanganui is 34 km to the south-east. State Highway 3 passes through it. The Waitotara River flows past the east side of the town....

 is 10 km to the southeast. State Highway 3

New Zealand State Highway 3

State Highway 3 is one of New Zealand's eight national highways. It serves the west coast of the country's North Island and forms a link between State Highway 1 and State Highway 2...

 and the Marton - New Plymouth Line railway run through the town.

The population was 861 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 42 from 2001.

It was an important colonial stronghold during the land wars

New Zealand land wars

The New Zealand Wars, sometimes called the Land Wars and also once called the Māori Wars, were a series of armed conflicts that took place in New Zealand between 1845 and 1872...

 of the 1860s, during which time the town was called Wairoa. The town is well known for its farming and thoroughbred stables. The race horse Kiwi

Kiwi (horse)

Kiwi was a Thoroughbred racehorse who in 1983 won the Wellington Cup in New Zealand and won the Melbourne Cup in Australia. Kiwi, who raced from 1980 to 1987, remains the only horse ever to win both cups....

 was trained in the paddocks of a Waverley sheep farm by owner Snow Lupton, and went on to go from last on the final bend to win the 1983 Melbourne Cup

Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...

.

Waverley has a large sawmill which employs around 48 staff. The mill is the only major sawmill as far as New Plymouth in the north and Levin in the south.

Waverley has a black sand beach, the colour is due to iron sand deposits. The campground at the beach is well used in the summer months, as the beach provides safe surfing. Waverley has a number of cafes and coffee shops and is a popular place for tourists to stop for a break before entering the Taranaki region.

Waverley and surrounding community has a South Taranaki District Council LibraryPlus, which provides a full library service and Council related services. These services include being able to register your dog, pay your rates or inquire about obtaining a building permit. Other services include a Tot Time for the under 5s and bookclub catering to intermediate and high school age children. The LibraryPlus also has three APN computers, offering free internet and Skype to the public.

Waverley has a small skatepark as well as a playground in the town park that can be seen off the main road that runs through Waverley. Also on Brassy St there is a small dirt jump track for push bikes. The locals call it the BMX track. The cave at Waverley's cave beach is collapsing due to erosion.

Education

Waverley Primary School is a co-educational contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a decile rating

Socio-Economic Decile

Decile, Socio-Economic Decile or Socio-Economic Decile Band is a widely used measure in education in New Zealand used to target funding and support to more needy schools....

 of 3 and a roll of 128. Public education started in the area in 1873. Waverley High School closed on 20 April 2007, after its NCEA

NCEA

NCEA can stand for:*National Certificate of Educational Achievement, New Zealand's main secondary school qualification*National Council for Educational Awards, Ireland*National Catholic Educational Association, United States...

assessments were found to be unreliable.

External links

• Waverley Way