Taihape

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Taihape
Geographical location
Taihape (New Zealand)
Taihape
Coordinates 39 ° 41 ′  S , 175 ° 48 ′  E Coordinates: 39 ° 41 ′  S , 175 ° 48 ′  E
Region ISO NZ-MWT
Country New ZealandNew Zealand New Zealand
region Manawatu-Wanganui
District Rangitikei District
Ward Taihape Ward
Local foundation 1894
Residents 1 509 (2013)
height 439 m
Post Code 4720
Telephone code +64 (0) 6
UN / LOCODE NZ THP
Photography of the place
Entrance to Taihape November 2016.jpg
Sculpture of a rubber boot at the entrance to Taihape

Taihape is a place in the Rangitikei District of the Manawatu-Wanganui region on the North Island of New Zealand .

geography

The place is located around 47 km south-southeast of the Ruapehu volcano and around 74 km east-northeast of Wanganui in the valley of the Hautapu River , which flows into the Rangitikei River around 9 km south-southeast of the place . Taihape is surrounded by mountains up to 866  m high. The mountain chains of the Ruahine Range rise around 25 km east of the village.

history

The region around Taihape was settled by Māori tribes long before the Europeans arrived, and their descendants still live in the area. The first record of a European visiting the region is from William Colenso in 1845. In 1884 a temporary route through the region was built for the North Island Main Trunk Railway .

The place itself was founded in 1894 when European settlers from Canterbury came to the area from the South Island. The settlement was built in a small natural clearing in the thick bush that the first settlers began to clear. Many descendants of the original settler families still live in the area. The settlement was first named " Hautapu " after the Hautapu River , then " Otaihape " ("the place of Tai the Hunchback") and finally " Taihape ".

Before the construction of the railway line through Taihape , most of the products of the surrounding farms, mainly sheep wool , had to be transported east to Napier by horses and ox carts , where they were exported. Like many other rural communities, Taihape remained an isolated pioneer settlement until better roads and the railway line were built in the early 20th century . After the construction of the railway, the place developed into an important railway and transport hub. After its economic peak in the 1950s and 1960s, the place suffered a slump during the New Zealand economic crisis in the 1980s and lost its importance as a result. Since then, Taihape has mainly been a stopover for travelers and a service center for the surrounding agriculture.

Taihape has long been considered a railroad town. In the past, a large part of the local families had relatives who worked for the railway. There were numerous railway company houses along Mataroa Road , only three of which have survived. Until the late 1970s, Taihape was an important marshalling yard . The trains received an additional locomotive that helped them on the long climb to the central plateau. A turntable was built to turn smaller, weaker locomotives. This was dismantled in the early 1980s. The Rotarians used donations to buy back the turntable and rebuild it. Thanks to the turntable, special trains can now run to Taihape and return after turning.

population

Taihape experienced a population increase to around 3500 inhabitants, a decrease to around 200 inhabitants in the late 1960s. At the 2013 census, the town only had 1,509 inhabitants, 15.6% fewer than at the 2006 census.

economy

Taihape is the service center of the rural area, in which the dairy industry plays a role and sheep and cattle are raised in the hilly parts of the area. Companies that manufacture machines and concrete products are located in Taihape itself. Sawmills and joineries process the wood from the surrounding forests. Because of its location, the place benefited somewhat from the passing tourism and thus serves many as a stopover.

Infrastructure

Road traffic

The New Zealand State Highway 1 runs through the village and offers a fast connection to Mangaweka in the south and Waiouru in the north. North of Taihape the road passes first through the Rangipo Desert , then east on Lakes Taupo over the city Taupo reach.

Rail transport

The railway line of the North Island Main Trunk Railway also runs through the town and thus connects the town to the metropolitan areas of the north and south. The railway line runs over the Raurimu spiral to the west towards Ohakune and in the opposite direction towards Marton .

Education

With the Taihape Area School, the place has a composite school with grades 1 to 15. In 2014, 287 students attended the school.

tourism

Taihape has been known for its annual " Gumboot Day " since April 9, 1985 and describes itself as the " Gumboot Capital of the World ". The place attracts numerous visitors to the annual rubber boot throwing competition. The festival was started by local business people who realized that they would never get rid of the somewhat backwoods and rural image of the place and decided to capitalize on this image.

A construction company in town owns an old steam pipe, which is now operated with compressed air. This became the signal of the place to Smoko (break) at 10 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. Because of this signal, tourists often assume that a steam locomotive is in town.

media

Along with Eketahuna in New Zealand, Taihape is the archetype of a "typical small New Zealand rural community". This reputation was reinforced by the satirist John Clarke , who had his skits about the fictional farmer Fred Dagg played in the town.

literature

Web links

Commons : Taihape  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Taihape . Statistics New Zealand , accessed October 15, 2017 .
  2. ↑ a b c Topo250 maps . Land Information New Zealand , accessed October 15, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Davis : Taihape . In: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand . 1966.
  4. ^ Neubauer: Taihape . In: The New Zealand Book . 2003, p. 574 .
  5. ^ Taihape Area School . Education Review Office , accessed October 15, 2017 .