Owaka
| Owaka | ||
| Geographical location | ||
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| Coordinates | 46 ° 27 ′ S , 169 ° 40 ′ E | |
| Region ISO | NZ-OTA | |
| Country |
 New Zealand
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| region | Otago | |
| District | Clutha District | |
| Ward | Catlins Ward | |
| Residents | 303 (2013) | |
| height | 14 m | |
| Post Code | 9535 | |
| Telephone code | +64 (0) 3 | |
Owaka is a small village in the Clutha District of the Otago regionon the South Island of New Zealand .
Origin of name
In the Māori language , the name of the place means “place of the canoe”, composed of “ O ” for place and “ waka ” for canoe.
geography
The village is located around 25 km south-southwest of Balclutha and around 2.5 km northeast of Catlins Lake , which is fed by the Catlins River and its drainage flows into the Pacific Ocean around 6 km southwest . The Owaka River , which flows north of Owaka and in whose plain the village lies, flows into the Catlins River around 4 km southwest of Owaka .
The closest settlements are Owaka Valley and Katea to the west and northwest, Poumawea and New Haven to the southeast, and Ratanui , Hinahina to the southwest and south.
history
On June 22, 1896, Owaka was the end of the Catlins River Branch , a railway line that was extended to Ratanui on August 1, 1904 . Later the route was continued to Tahakopa . With the decline in the volume of freight traffic in the region, the route initially ended in Owaka again from 1958, only to be completely discontinued on February 27, 1971. A few remnants of the railway line remained in the area around Owaka received, but the storage shed of the station of Owaka was demolished as a last relic of the railway time in the village 1986th
population
In the 2013 census, the town had 303 inhabitants, 7.3% less than in the 2006 census.
economy
The main livelihood of the village is agriculture. The administration of the Catlins Forest Park , which begins 20 km further east, is located in Owaka .
Attractions
In Owaka , a museum on the history of the Catlins ' settlement , the Catlins Historical Museum , can be visited and the Purakaunui Falls are only 17 km southwest of the village.
Sports
About 2 km southeast of Owaka is a nine-hole golf course.
literature
- Helga Neubauer: Owaka . In: The New Zealand Book . 1st edition. NZ Visitor Publications , Nelson 2003, ISBN 1-877339-00-8 , pp. 873 f .