Everything about Waikato Region District totally explained
Environment Waikato
Waikato Regional Council |
| Country: |
New Zealand |
|
| Regional Council |
| Name: |
Environment Waikato |
| Chair: |
Peter Buckley |
| Population: |
382,716
June 2006 |
| Land Area: |
approximately 25,000 km2, or 2.5 million hectares |
| Website: |
http://www.ew.govt.nz |
| Cities and Towns |
| Cities: |
Hamilton |
| Towns: |
Cambridge, Coromandel, Huntly, Matamata, Miranda, Morrinsville, Ngaruawahia, Ngatea, Paeroa, Pirongia, Putaruru, Raglan, Taupiri, Taupo, Te Aroha, Te Awamutu, Te Kauwhata, Te Kuiti, Thames, Tirau, Tokoroa, Waihi |
| Constituent Territorial Authorities |
| Names: |
Hamilton City
Waikato District
South Waikato District
Waipa District
Thames-Coromandel District
Matamata-Piako District
Waitomo District (part)
Otorohanga District
Franklin District (part)
Hauraki District
Taupo District (part)
Rotorua District (part) |
| Websites: |
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Waikato is the name of a region in the
North Island of
New Zealand. Exact boundaries of the region depend largely on the use of the name, but in all cases it refers to an area around the city of
Hamilton and extending along the banks of the
Waikato River.
Different definitions
The Waikato local government region
The
Waikato region is a
local government region on the western side of the North Island. It stretches from
Lake Taupo and northern
King Country in the south, up to the
Coromandel Peninsula and the boundary with the
Auckland Region. The region has an area of 25,000 km², and an estimated
2006 population of 387,700. It encompasses all or parts of twelve separate
Districts, the most by any region. In descending order of land area the Districts are Taupo (part), Waitomo (part), Waikato, Thames-Coromandel, Otorohanga, South Waikato, Matamata-Piako, Waipa, Franklin (part), Hauraki, Rotorua (part), and Hamilton City.
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The Waikato region (general use of term)
The term
Waikato is likely to generally include only a part of the local government region, excluding areas around the Coromandel Peninsula and
Thames Valley in the north and around and to the north of
Lake Taupo in the southeast.
The Waikato District
Waikato also refers to the district administered by the
Waikato District Council. This covers the towns of
Ngaruawahia,
Huntly and
Raglan.
The Waikato River
The Waikato refers to the long river from which the region gets its name. Waikato is a
Māori word meaning
flowing water.
Geography
In the west, the region is bounded by the
Tasman Sea. The coastal region is largely rough hill country, known locally as the
Hakarimata Range, though it's more gently undulating in the north, closer to the mouth of the Waikato River. The coast is punctured by three large natural harbours:
Raglan Harbour,
Aotea Harbour, and
Kawhia Harbour. The area around Raglan is noted for its
volcanic black sand beaches, and also for its fine
surfing conditions at Manu bay and
Ruapuke beach.
To the east of the coastal hills lies the broad
floodplain of the Waikato River. The region has a wet temperate climate, and the land is largely rich farmland, although it also contains undrained
peat swamp. It is in the broad
Waikato Plains that most of the region's population resides, and the land is intensively farmed with both livestock (mainly
dairy cattle) and crops (such as
maize). The area around
Cambridge has many
thoroughbred stables.
The north of the region around
Te Kauwhata produces some of New Zealand's best
wines. Several shallow lakes lie in this area, the largest of which is
Lake Waikare.
To the east, the land rises towards the forested slopes of the
Kaimai and
Mamaku Ranges. The upper reaches of the Waikato River are used for
hydroelectricity, and several large artificial lakes are found in the region's southeast.
History
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the western North Island contained some of the most densely populated parts of New Zealand, inhabited by
iwi such as
Ngāti Toa and
Tainui.
The Waikato has a prominent history, particularly regarding relationships between Māori and European in early colonial New Zealand. During the
Land Wars of the
1860s, the Waikato was the scene of major bloodshed in what is referred to as the
Invasion of the Waikato. Largely in retaliation for Waikato Māori helping Taranaki Māori protect their land in the earlier
Taranaki War, the colonial government — with the help of troops brought from Britain — pushed south from the main settlement of
Auckland, fighting several defensive lines organised by the combined
iwi of the
King Movement. During
1863 and
1864 fighting occurred at
Meremere, Ngaruawahia, Rangiaowhia (southwest of Cambridge) and at Orakau (near Te Awamutu). Eventually the King Movement's forces pulled back to positions in the area to the south of the Waikato, still known as the
King Country. The Orakau siege was immortalised in one of New Zealand's first
motion pictures as
Rewi's Last Stand in
1925.
The National
Marae,
Turangawaewae, is at Ngaruawahia. It is the seat of newly crowned Māori King
Tuheitia Paki.
People
Cities and towns
The city of
Hamilton is the major centre, with an urban population in
2006 of 158,500. It is home to
Waikato University and
Wintec. The towns of
Tokoroa,
Te Awamutu and
Cambridge each have approximately 10,000 to 15,000 people in the actual townships and surrounding rural areas.
The region also includes the smaller towns of
Huntly,
Matamata,
Morrinsville,
Ngaruawahia,
Otorohanga,
Putaruru,
Raglan,
Te Kauwhata,
Te Kuiti, and
Tirau.
Other towns within the Waikato government region, but outside the normally accepted Waikato area, include
Tuakau and Mercer, south of
Auckland;
Paeroa,
Te Aroha,
Thames,
Whangamata, and
Whitianga around the Thames Valley and Coromandel Peninsula; and the city of
Taupo (population 22,300) and town of
Turangi in the southeast.
The people of the Waikato occasionally use the nickname
Mooloo to apply to themselves or to their province, particularly in relation to sporting endeavours. The word was likely first applied to the
Waikato provincial rugby team. Its origin is related to the mascot of a pantomime-like milking cow used in parades, public events and sports matches — particularly rugby, reflecting the importance of the dairy industry to the region. Waikato hosts the
Chiefs Super 14 rugby team and
Waikato provincial rugby team at
Waikato Stadium and the
Northern Districts Knights in domestic cricket at
Seddon Park, both in Hamilton.
Famous sons and daughters
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